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BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 


BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATB 

or 

San  Francisco 


THE  QUEEN  CITY  OF  THE  PACIFIC 
COAST  f  WITH  SCENES  and  INCI^ 
DENTS  CHARACTERISTIC  of  its  LIFE 


By 
JOSEPH  CAREY,  UD. 

A  Member  of  the  American  Historical  Association 


* 


ALBANY,  N.  Y. 

THE  ALBANY  DIOCESAN  PRESS 

1902 


Copyright,  iqo2 

by 

THE  ALBANY  DIOCESAN  PRESS 


W3 


J 


IB 


7<?  My  Beloved  Wife 

this  volume 

is  affectionately  inscribed. 


274432 


PREFACE 

This  work  now  offered  to  the  public 
owes  its  origin  largely  to  the  following  cir- 
cumstance :  On  the  return  of  the  author  from 
California  and  the  city  of  Mexico,  in  No- 
vember, 1 90 1,  his  friend,  the  Rev.  John  N. 
Marvin,  President  of  the  Diocesan  Press, 
asked  him  to  contribute  some  articles  to  the 
Diocese  of  Albany.  From  these  "  sketches  " 
of  San  Francisco  this  book  has  taken  form. 
There  are  chapters  in  the  volume  which 
have  not  appeared  in  print  hitherto,  and 
such  portions  as  have  been  already  pub- 
lished have  been  thoroughly  revised.  Much 
of  the  work  has  been  written  from  copious 
notes  made  in  San  Francisco,  and  impres- 
sions received  there  naturally  give  a  local 
colouring  to  it  in  its  composition. 

It  is  not  a  history,  nor  yet  is  it  a  guide 
book ;  but  it  is  thought  that  it  will  be  helpful 
to  tourists  who  visit  one  of  the  most  pictur- 
7 


8  PREFACE 

esque  and  interesting  cities  in  the  United 
States.  It  furnishes  in  a  convenient  form 
just  such  information  as  the  intelligent  trav- 
eller needs  in  order  to  enjoy  his  walks  and 
rides  through  the  city.  The  writer  in  his 
quest  among  books  could  not  find  any  thing 
exactly  of  the  character  here  produced;  and 
therefore  he  is  led  to  give  the  results  of  his 
observations  and  studies  with  the  hope  that 
the  perusal  of  this  volume,  sent  forth  mod- 
estly on  its  errand,  will  not  prove  an  unprof- 
itable task. 

The  Author. 
November  ist,  1902. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

Westward n 

CHAPTER  II 
Views  from  the  Boat  on  the  Bay    ...      41 

CHAPTER  III 
San  Francisco  and  the  Discovery  of  Gold     .      56 

CHAPTER  IV 

The   Story  of  Golden   Gate   Park  and  the 
Cemeteries .71 

CHAPTER  V 

Then  and  Now,  or  Eighteen  Hundred  Forty- 
nine  and  Nineteen  Hundred  and  One         .       88 

CHAPTER  VI 
From  Street  Nomenclature  to  a  Cannon       .     109 

CHAPTER  VII 

Chinamen  of  San  Francisco — Their  Callings 

and  Characteristics 136 

9 


io  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  VIII 

PAGE 

A  Chinese  Newspaper,  Little  Feet,  and  an 
Opium-Joint 158 

CHAPTER  IX 
Music,  Gambling,  Eating,  Theatre-going        .     183 

CHAPTER  X 

The  Joss-House,  Chinese  Immigration  and 
Chinese  Theology 205 

CHAPTER  XI 
The  General  Convention  of  1901    .        .        .    225 

CHAPTER  XII 
Through  the  City  to  the  Golden  Gate  .    260 


By  the  Golden  Gate 


CHAPTER  I 

WESTWARD 

Choice  of  Route — The  Ticket — Journey  Begun — Pan- 
American  Exposition  and  President  McKinley — 
The  Cattle-Dealer  and  His  Story — Horses — Old 
Friends — The  Father  of  Waters — Two  Noted  Cities 
— Rocky  Mountains — A  City  Almost  a  Mile  High 
— The  Dean  and  His  Anti-tariff  Window — Love 
and  Revenge — Garden  of  the  Gods — Haunted  House 
— Grand  Canon  and  Royal  Gorge — Arkansas  River 
— In  Salt  Lake  City — A  Mormon  and  His  Wives 
— The  Lake — Streets — Tabernacle  and  Temple — In 
St.  Mark's — Salt  Lake  Theatre — Impressions — 
Ogden — Time  Sections — Last  Spike — Piute  Indians 
— El  Dorado — On  the  Sierras — A  Promised  Land. 

The  meeting  of  the  General  Convention  of 
the  Church  in  San  Francisco,  in  1901,  gave 
the  writer  the  long-desired  opportunity  to 
visit  the  Pacific  coast  and  see  California, 
which  since  the  early  discoveries,  has  been 
11 


12         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

associated  with  adventure  and  romance. 
Who  is  there  indeed  who  would  not  travel 
towards  the  setting  sun  to  feast  his  eyes  on  a 
land  so  famous  for  its  mineral  wealth,  its 
fruits  and  flowers,  and  its  enchanting  scenery 
from  the  snowy  heights  of  the  Sierras  to  the 
waters  of  the  ocean  first  seen  by  Balboa  in 
1 5 13,  and  navigated  successively  by  Magal- 
haes  and  Drake,  Dampier  and  Anson? 

The  question,  debated  for  weeks  before 
setting  out  on  the  journey,  was,  which  route 
of  travel  will  I  take?  It  is  hard  to  choose 
where  all  are  excellent.  I  asked  myself  again 
and  again,  which  line  will  afford  the  greatest 
entertainment  and  be  most  advantageous  in 
the  study  of  the  country  from  a  historic  stand- 
point ?  The  Canadian  Pacific  route,  and  also 
the  Northern  Pacific,  with  their  grand  moun- 
tainous scenery  and  other  attractions,  had 
much  to  commend  them ;  so  also  other  lines 
of  importance  like  the  Santa  Fe  with  its  con- 
necting roads ;  and  the  only  regret  was  that 
one  could  not  travel  over  them  all.  But  one 
way  had  to  be  selected,  and  the  choice  at  last 
fell  on  the  Delaware  and  Hudson,  the  Erie, 
Rock  Island,  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande, 


WESTWARD  13 

and  the  Southern  Pacific  roads.  This  route 
was  deemed  most  feasible,  and  one  that 
would  give  a  special  opportunity  to  pass 
through  cities  and  places  famous  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Nation,  which  otherwise  could 
not  be  visited  without  great  expense  and  con- 
sumption of  time.  It  enabled  one  also  to 
travel  through  such  great  States  as  Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Iowa,  Ne- 
braska, Colorado,  Utah,  and  Nevada,  as  well 
as  central  California.  As  the  return  jour- 
ney had  also  to  be  determined  before  leaving 
home,  the  writer,  desirous  of  visiting  the 
coast  towns  of  California  south  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, and  as  far  down  as  San  Diego,  the 
first  settlement  in  California  by  white  men, 
arranged  to  take  the  Southern  Pacific  Rail- 
way and  the  direct  lines  with  which  it  com- 
municates. In  travelling  over  the  "  Sunset 
Route,"  as  the  Southern  Pacific  is  styled,  he 
would  pass  across  the  southern  section  of 
California  from  Los  Angeles,  through  Ari- 
zona, New  Mexico,  Texas  and  Louisiana, 
the  line  over  which  President  McKinley 
travelled  when  he  made  his  tour  in  the 
spring  of   1901.     From   New   Orleans,   by 


14         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

taking  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Rail- 
road, he  would  journey  through  southern 
Mississippi,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  and  so 
back  through  Ohio  from  Cincinnati,  and 
across  Pennsylvania  into  the  Empire  State, 
over  the  Erie  and  the  "  D.  &  H."  Railways. 
By  the  "  Sunset  Route,"  too,  the  writer  could 
avail  himself  of  the  privilege  of  going  into 
the  country  of  Mexico  at  Eagle  Pass,  and  so 
down  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  famous  with  the 
memories  of  the  Montezumas  and  of  Cortez 
and  furnishing  also  a  memorable  chapter  in 
our  own  history,  when,  in  September  1847, 
the  heights  of  Chapultepec  were  stormed  by 
General  Pillow  and  his  brave  followers. 

The  journey  from  beginning  to  end  was 
one  of  delightful  experiences,  full  of  pleas- 
ure and  profit,  and  without  a  single  accident 
or  mishap.  This  is  largely  owing  to  the  ex- 
cellent service  afforded  and  the  courtesy  of 
the  railway  officials,  who  were  ready  at  all 
times  to  answer  questions  and  to  promote 
the  comfort  of  the  passengers.  The  oblig- 
ing agent  of  the  "  D.  &  H."  Railway  in 
Saratoga  Springs  made  all  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements for  the  ticket,  with  its  coupons, 


WESTWARD  15 

which  was  to  take  me  to  and  fro ;  and  bag- 
gage checked  in  Saratoga  was  found  prompt- 
ly, and  in  good  condition,  on  my  arrival  in 
San  Francisco.  How  different  our  system, 
in  this  respect,  from  that  of  the  English  and 
Continental  and  Oriental  railways!  Lug- 
gage in  those  far  off  countries  is  a  source  of 
constant  care,  and  in  Continental  Europe  and 
Asiatic  lands  a  heavy  item  of  expense.  The 
old  world  might  learn  in  several  particulars 
from  our  efficient  American  railway  system, 
which  has  for  its  prime  object  facility  of 
travel.  The  ticket  was  an  object  of  interest 
from  its  length,  with  its  privileges  of  stop- 
ping over  at  important  towns ;  and  strange- 
ly, as  I  travelled  down  the  Pacific  coast,  with 
new  coupons  added,  it  seemed  to  grow  in- 
stead of  diminishing.  One  could  not  but  smile 
at  times  at  its  appearance,  and  the  wonder 
of  more  than  one  conductor  on  the  trains 
was  excited  as  it  was  unfolded,  and  it  stream- 
ed out  like  the  tail  of  a  kite.  It  was  most 
generous  in  its  proportions  as  the  railway 
companies  were  liberal  in  their  concessions. 

It  was  on  September  the  23rd,   1901,  a 
bright  Monday  morning,  when  I  stepped  on 


1 6         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  "  D.  &  H."  for  Albany,  thence  proceed- 
ing from  the  Capital  City  to  Binghamton, 
where  I  made  connection  with  the  Erie 
Railway.  Travelling  on  the  train  with  me 
as  far  as  Albany  were  Mr.  W.  Edgar  Wool- 
ley,  proprietor  of  the  Grand  Union  Hotel, 
Saratoga,  and  Mrs.  James  Amory  Moore, 
of  Saratoga  and  New  York  city,  whose 
hearty  wish  that  I  might  have  a  prosperous 
journey  was  prophetic.  The  country  tra- 
versed from  Saratoga  to  Binghamton  by  the 
"  D.  &  H."  Railway  affords  many  beautiful 
views  of  hill  and  valley,  and,  besides  Al- 
bany with  its  long  and  memorable  history 
and  magnificent  public  buildings  and 
churches,  including  St.  Peter's  and  All 
Saints'  Cathedral,  there  are  places  of  note 
to  be  seen,  such  as  Howe's  Cave  and  Sharon 
Springs.  By  this  branch  of  the  "  D.  &  H  " 
system,  Cooperstown,  rendered  famous  by 
James  Fenimore  Cooper  in  his  works,  is 
reached.  On  alighting  from  the  train  at 
Binghamton  I  was  greeted  by  my  old  friends, 
Col.  Arthur  MacArthur,  the  genial  and  ac- 
complished editor  of  the  Troy  Budget,  and 
that  witty  soul,  Rev.  Cornelius  L.  Twing, 


WESTWARD  17 

Rector  of  Calvary  Church,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
who  had  come  here  for  the  purpose  of  at- 
tending the  Annual  Conclave  of  the  Grand 
Commandery  of  the  State  of  New  York.  At 
Buffalo  I  had  sufficient  time,  before  taking 
the  through  sleeping  car  "  Sweden,"  on  the 
Erie  Railway,  to  Chicago,  to  visit  the  Pan- 
American  Exposition  grounds.  The  scene, 
at  night,  as  I  approached,  was  very  impress- 
ive. The  buildings,  illuminated  with  elec- 
tricity furnished  by  the  power-house  at  Ni- 
agara's thundering  cataract,  looked  like  pal- 
aces of  gold.  The  flood  of  light  was  a  bril- 
liant yellow.  The  main  avenue  was  broad 
and  attractive.  The  tower,  with  the  foun- 
tains and  cascade,  appealed  wonderfully  to 
the  imagination.  Machinery,  Agricultural, 
and  the  Electrical  buildings,  had  an  air  of 
grandeur.  Music  Hall,  where  the  members 
of  Weber's  Orchestra  from  Cincinnati  were 
giving  a  concert  before  an  audience  of  three 
hundred  persons,  had  a  melancholy  interest 
for  me.  It  was  here,  only  a  short  time  be- 
fore, that  President  McKinley,  at  a  public 
reception,  was  stricken  down  by  the  hand  of 
an  assassin ;   and  the  exact  spot  was  pointed 


1 8         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

out  to  me  by  a  policeman.  In  that  late  hour 
of  the  evening,  as  I  stood  there  rapt  in  con- 
templation over  the  tragic  scene  which  de- 
prived a  nation  of  one  of  the  wisest  and  best 
of  rulers,  I  seemed  to  hear  his  voice  uplifted 
as  in  the  moment  when  he  was  smitten, 
pleading  earnestly  with  the  horrified  citizens 
and  officers  around  him,  to  have  mercy  on 
his  murderer, — "  Let  no  one  do  him  harm !  " 
It  was  Christian,  like  the  Protomartyr;  it 
was  the  spirit  of  the  Divine  Master,  Who 
teaches  us  to  pray  for  our  persecutors  and 
enemies!  Happy  the  nation  with  such  an 
example  before  it ! 

In  travelling  westward  one  meets  now  and 
then  with  original  and  striking  characters. 
They  are  interesting,  too,  and  you  can  learn 
lessons  of  practical  wisdom  from  them  if  you 
will.  They  will  be  friendly  and  communi- 
cative if  you  encourage  them.  Answering 
this  description  was  a  Mr.  H.  W.  Coffman, 
a  dealer  in  Short  Horn  cattle,  who  was  trav- 
elling from  Buffalo  on  the  Erie  road  to  Chi- 
cago. He  lives  at  Willow  Grove  Stock 
Farm,  a  hundred  miles  west  of  Chicago  on 
the  Great  Western  Railway,  one  mile  South 


WESTWARD  19 

of  German  Valley.  Naturally  we  talked 
about  cows,  and  we  discussed  the  different 
breeds  of  cattle,  especially  the  Buffalo  cows 
of  the  present-day  Egypt,  and  the  Apis  of 
four  thousand  years  ago,  which  according 
to  the  representations,  on  the  monuments, 
was  more  like  the  Devon  breed  than  the 
Buffalo.  The  names  which  he  gave  to  his 
cows  were  somewhat  poetic.  One,  for  exam- 
ple, was  named  "  Gold  Bud;  "  and  another, 
called  "  Sweet  Violet,"  owing  to  her  fine 
build,  was  sold  for  $3,705.  As  the  con- 
versation drifted,  sometimes  into  things  seri- 
ous, and  then  into  a  lighter  vein,  Mr.  Coff- 
man  told  a  story  about  a  man  who  had  three 
fine  calves.  One  of  them  died,  and,  when 
his  foreman  told  him,  he  said  he  was  sorry, 
but  no  doubt  it  was  "  all  for  the  best." 
"  Skin  him,"  said  he,  "  and  sell  his  hide." 
Another  one  died,  and  he  said  the  same  thing. 
When  the  last  and  the  best  died,  his  wife 
said  to  him,  "  Now  the  Lord  is  punishing 
you  for  your  meanness !  "  His  reply  was, 
"  If  the  Lord  will  take  it  out  in  calves  it  is 
not  so  bad."  I  could  not  but  moralise  that 
the  Divine  judgments  on  us,  for  our  sins, 


20         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

are  not  as  severe  as  they  might  be,  and  that 
few  of  us  get  what  we  deserve  in  the  way  of 
punishment  or  chastening.  I  also  met  a 
horse  dealer,  who  said  that  he  shipped  some 
sixty  horses  every  week  to  a  commission 
merchant  in  Buffalo.  The  latter  made  three 
dollars  per  head  for  selling  them.  They 
brought  about  $60  a  piece.  When  shipped 
at  New  York,  by  English  buyers,  for  France, 
South  Africa,  and  elsewhere,  they  cost  about 
$190  a  head.  The  farmers  of  Ohio,  Indi- 
ana, Iowa,  and  Wisconsin,  are  getting  rich 
from  horse  culture  and  the  raising  of  cattle. 
He  said  that  fifteen  years  ago,  the  farmers, 
in  many  instances,  had  heavy  notes  dis- 
counted in  the  banks.  Now  they  have  no 
such  indebtedness.  When  formerly  he  en- 
tered a  town  he  would  go  to  a  bank  and  find 
out  from  the  cashier  who  had  notes  there; 
and  then  he  would  go  and  buy  the  horses  of 
such  men  at  reduced  rates.  All  is  different 
now.  The  European  demand  has  helped  the 
American  farmer. 

At  Akron,  Ohio,  the  energetic  and  success- 
ful Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  the  Rev. 
James  H.  W.  Blake,  accompanied  by  his  wife 


WESTWARD  21 

and  Miss  Graham,  his  parishioner,  boarded 
the  train ;  and  I  found  them  most  agreeable 
travelling  companions  to  San  Francisco.  In 
Chicago,  in  the  Rock  Island  Station,  I  was 
met  by  tourist  agent  Donaldson,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Rock  Island  Railway  Company, 
and  during  all  the  journey  he  was  most  cour- 
teous and  helpful.  Here  also  I  found  my 
old  classmate  in  the  General  Theological 
Seminary,  Rev.  Dr.  Alfred  Brittin  Baker, 
Rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Princeton,  N.  J., 
Rev.  Dr.  Henry  L.  Jones,  of  Wilkesbarre, 
Pa.,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  S.  Woodle,  of  Altoona, 
Pa.,  the  Rev.  Henry  S.  Foster,  of  Green  Bay, 
Wis.,  and  the  Rev.  Wm.  B.  Thorne,  of 
Marinette,  Wis.,  all  journeying  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. It  was  a  pleasure  to  see  these  friends, 
and  to  have  their  delightful  companionship. 

Many  interesting  chapters  might  be  writ- 
ten about  this  journey;  and  to  give  all  the 
incidents  by  the  way  and  descriptions  of 
places  visited  and  pen  pictures  of  persons 
met  would  detain  you,  dear  reader,  too  long, 
as  you  are  hastening  on  to  the  City  by  the 
Golden  Gate.  Some  things,  however,  we 
may  not  omit  as  we  travel  over  great  prai- 


22         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

ries  and  cross  rivers  and  plains  and  moun- 
tains and  valleys.  At  Rock  Island  our  train 
crossed  the  Mississippi,  reaching  Daven- 
port by  one  of  the  finest  railway  bridges  in 
the  country;  and  as  the  "Father  of  Wa- 
ters "  sped  on  in  its  course  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  it  made  one  think  of  the  Nile  and 
the  long  stretches  of  country  through  which 
that  ancient  river  wends  its  way;  but  the 
teeming  populations  on  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi have  a  more  noble  destiny  than  the 
subjects  of  the  Pharaohs  who  sleep  in  the  ne- 
cropolis of  Sakkarah  and  among  the  hills  of 
Thebes  and  in  innumerable  tombs  elsewhere. 
They  have  the  splendid  civilisation  of  the 
Gospel,  and  they  are  a  mighty  force  in  the 
growth  and  stability  of  this  nation,  whose 
mission  is  worldwide.  At  Transfer  we 
passed  over  the  Missouri  by  a  long  bridge, 
and  entered  Omaha,  a  city  picturesquely  situ- 
ated, the  home  of  that  doughty  churchman, 
Rev.  John  Williams,  and  of  Chancellor  James 
M.  Woolworth,  a  noble  representative  of  the 
laity  of  the  Church.  Well  may  this  place 
be  called  the  "  Gate  City  "  of  the  Antelope 
State.     Towards  evening  we  reached  Lin- 


WESTWARD  23 

coin,  the  home  of  William  Jennings  Bryan, 
the  Democratic  candidate  for  the  presidency 
in  1896,  and  also  four  years  later.  The 
house  where  he  lives  was  pointed  out  to  us. 
It  is  a  modest  structure  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  city,  comporting  with  the  simplicity  of 
the  man  himself.  In  the  morning  we  found 
ourselves  riding  over  the  plains  of  Colorado. 
Here  are  miles  and  miles  of  prairie,  with 
great  herds  of  cattle  here  and  there.  Here  also 
the  eye  of  the  traveller  rests  on  hundreds  of 
miles  of  snow  fences.  At  last  we  have  our 
first  view  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  that  great 
rampart  rising  up  from  the  plains  like  huge 
banks  of  clouds.  It  was  indeed  an  imposing 
view ;  and  it  reminded  me  of  the  day  when; 
sailing  across  the  sea  from  Cyprus,  I  first 
saw  the  mountains  of  Lebanon.  You  almost 
feel  as  if  you  are  going  over  a  sea  on  this 
plain,  with  the  Rocky  Mountains  as  an  im- 
movable wall  to  curb  it  in  its  tempests.  One 
thought  greatly  impressed  me  in  the  journey 
thus  far,  and  this  is  the  wonderful  agricultu- 
ral resources  of  our  country.  We  were  trav- 
elling over  but  one  belt  of  the  landscape.  Its 
revelations   of    fertility,   of   cultivation,   of 


24         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

products,  of  prosperity,  of  thrifty  homes,  of 
contented  peoples,  made  one  feel  indeed  that 
this  is  a  land  of  plenty,  and  that  we  are  a 
nation  blessed  in  no  ordinary  way. 

The  City  of  Denver  is  beautiful  for  situa- 
tion, with  the  Rocky  Mountains  fifteen  miles 
to  the  west.  As  it  is  on  the  western  border 
of  the  great  plain,  you  can  hardly  at  first 
realise  what  its  elevation  is.  Yet  it  is  5,270 
feet  above  the  sea,  lacking  only  ten  feet  of 
being  a  mile  above  tide  water.  The  atmos- 
phere is  clear  and  crisp,  and  the  mountain  air 
exhilarates  one  in  no  ordinary  degree.  Al- 
though founded  only  as  far  back  as  1858,  it 
has  to-day  a  population  of  134,000,  and  it  is 
steadily  growing.  It  has  well  equipped  ho- 
tels such  as  the  Palace,  the  Windsor,  the 
Albany  and  the  St.  James.  It  has  also  fine 
public  buildings,  flourishing  churches  and 
schools,  and  many  beautiful  homes.  There 
is  an  air  of  prosperity  everywhere.  Here 
among  other  places  which  I  visited  is  Wolfe 
Hall,  a  boarding  and  day  school  for  girls, 
well  equipped  for  its  work,  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet Kerr,  a  grand-daughter  of  the  late 
Rev.  Dr.  John  Brown,  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y., 


WESTWARD  25 

for  its  principal.  I  also  met  the  Rev.  Dr.  H. 
Martyn  Hart,  a  man  of  strong  personality. 
I  found  him  in  St.  John's  Cathedral,  of 
which  he  is  the  Dean,  and  of  which  he  is 
justly  proud.  It  is  a  churchly  edifice,  and  it 
suggests  some  of  the  architectural  form  of 
Sancta  Sophia  in  Constantinople.  Dean  Hart 
showed  my  companions  and  me  what  he 
calls  his  anti-tariff  window.  The  window  was 
purchased  abroad,  and  the  original  tariff  was 
to  be  ten  per  cent  of  the  cost  price.  This  would 
be  about  $75.  The  window  cost  $750.  Mean- 
while the  McKinley  tariff  bill  was  passed 
by  Congress,  and  as  the  duty  was  greatly  in- 
creased he  would  not  pay  it.  Finally  the 
window  was  sold  at  auction  by  the  customs' 
officials,  and  Dean  Hart  bought  it  for  $25. 
As  we  rode  about  the  city  the  courteous 
driver,  a  Mr.  Haney,  pointed  out  a  beautiful 
house  embowered  in  trees,  which  had  a  ro- 
mantic history.  A  young  man  of  Denver 
was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  young 
woman.  She  jilted  him  and  married  an- 
other, and  while  she  was  on  her  wedding 
tour  her  husband  died.  The  house  in  which 
she  lived  was  offered  for  sale  at  this  juncture, 


26         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  the  original  suitor  bought  it  and  turned 
her  out  into  the  street.  He  had  his  revenge, 
which  shows  that  human  nature  is  the  same 
the  world  over.  Had  he  offered  her  the 
house  to  live  in,  however,  it  would  have  been 
a  nobler  revenge,  "  overcoming  evil  with 
good." 

It  is  but  a  short  ride  from  Denver  to  Colo- 
rado Springs,  which  is  a  delightful  spot  with 
21,000  inhabitants,  and  here  is  a  magnificent 
hotel  a  block  or  two  from  the  railway  station 
called  the  New  Antlers.  The  Rev.  Dr.  H. 
H.  Messenger,  of  Summit,  Mississippi,  an 
apostolic  looking  clergyman,  with  his  wife, 
accompanied  us  from  Denver  to  Colorado 
Springs,  and  also  to  Manitou,  at  the  foot  of 
Pike's  Peak  and  the  mouth  of  the  Ute  Pass. 
From  Manitou  we  drove  to  the  Garden  of 
the  Gods,  comprising  about  five  hundred 
acres,  and  went  through  this  mysterious  re- 
gion with  its  fantastic  and  wonderful  forma- 
tions, which  seem  to  caricature  men  and 
beasts  and  to  mimic  architectural  creations. 
Here  we  saw  the  Scotchman,  Punch  and 
Judy,  the  Siamese  Twins,  the  Lion,  the  ele- 


WESTWARD  27 

phant,  the  seal,  the  bear,  the  toad,  and  nu- 
merous other  creatures.  We  also  viewed  the 
balanced  rock,  at  the  entrance,  and  the  Gate- 
way Cliffs,  at  the  northeast  end  of  the  Gar- 
den, and  the  Cathedral  spires.  Everything 
was  indeed  startling-,  and  as  puzzling  as  the 
Sphinx  in  old  Egypt.  Nature  was  certainly 
in  a  playful  mood  when,  with  her  chisel  and 
mallet,  she  carved  these  grotesque  forms  out 
of  stones  and  rocks. 

On  the  outskirts  of  Manitou  the  "  Haunt- 
ed House  "  was  pointed  out  by  the  guide, 
who  said  that  a  man  and  his  wife  and  their 
son  had  been  murdered  here.  No  one  would 
live  in  the  house  now.  He  asked  me  if  I  be- 
lieved in  "  Ghosts."  I  said  I  was  not  afraid 
of  dead  men,  and  that  I  did  not  think  they 
came  back  to  disturb  us.  He  seemed  to  agree 
with  me,  but  hastened  to  say  that  he  "  met  a 
clergyman  yesterday  who  said  he  believed 
in  them."  The  house  in  Manitou  which,  of 
all  others,  interested  me  most,  was  the  pretty 
vine-covered  cottage  of  Helen  Hunt  Jackson, 
who  wrote  "  Ramona."  It  was  she,  who, 
with  a  fine  appreciation  of  nature,  gave  this 


28         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

wild  and  secluded  spot,  with  its  riddles  in 
stone,  the  suggestive  name  of  "  The  Garden 
of  the  Gods." 

At  noon  on  Friday,  October  7th,  I  board- 
ed the  Pullman  train  at  Colorado  Springs, 
on  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway,  for 
Salt  Lake  City.  On  this  train  was  my  old 
friend  the  Rev.  James  W.  Ashton,  Rector  of 
St.  Stephen's  Church,  Olean,  N.  Y.,  whom 
I  had  not  seen  for  years,  and  from  this  hour 
he  was  my  constant  travelling  companion  for 
weeks  in  the  California  tour,  ready  for  every 
enterprise  and  adventure.  At  Pueblo  were 
some  quaint  Spanish-looking  buildings,  and 
farther  on  we  were  among  the  foothills  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  Our  train  gradually 
ascended  the  heights  skirting  the  bank  of  the 
Arkansas  River,  which  was  tawny  and  tur- 
bid for  many  a  mile.  But  the  Grand  Canon 
of  the  Arkansas,  with  its  eight  miles  of  gran- 
ite walls  and  its  Royal  Gorge  towering  nearly 
three  thousand  feet  above  us !  It  is  rightly 
named.  I  cannot  undertake  to  describe  it 
accurately.  Here  are  grand  cliffs  which 
seemingly  reach  the  heavens,  and  in  some 
places  the  rocky  walls  come  so  near  that  they 


WESTWARD  29 

almost  touch  each  other.  As  you  look  up, 
even  in  midday,  the  stars  twinkle  for  you  in 
the  azure  vault.  As  the  train  sped  on,  toil- 
ing up  the  pass  through  the  riven  hills  and 
crossing  a  bridge  fastened  in  the  walls  of  the 
gorge  and  spanning  the  foaming  waters,  you 
felt  as  if  you  were  shut  up  in  the  mysterious 
chambers  of  these  eternal  mountains.  It  is 
a  stupendous  work  of  the  Creator,  and  man 
dwarfs  into  littleness  in  the  presence  of  the 
majesty  of  God  here  manifested  as  when 
Elijah  stood  on  Horeb's  heights. 

It  was  a  pleasant  task  to  study  the  scenery, 
wild  beyond  description  at  times ;  and  then 
you  would  pass  upland  plains  with  cattle 
here  and  there,  and  mining  camps.  That  is 
Leadville,  a  mile  or  so  yonder  to  the  north; 
and  the  children  who  have  come  down  to  the 
station  have  valuable  specimens  of  ore  in 
their  little  baskets,  to  sell  to  you  for  a  trifle. 
Off  to  the  left  hand,  a  little  farther  on,  was 
a  "  placer  mine,"  with  water  pouring  out  of 
a  conduit,  muddy  and  yellow  with  "  wash- 
ings." This  emptied  itself  into  the  Arkan- 
sas River,  which,  from  this  point  down  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  was  as  if  its  bed  had 


30         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

been  stirred  up  with  all  its  clay  and  other 
deposit.  Above  this  junction  the  waters  of 
the  river  were  clear  and  sparkling.  It  is  a 
picture  of  life,  whose  stream  is  pure  and 
sweet  until  sin  enters  it  and  vitiates  its  cur- 
rent. Miles  beyond  are  snow  sheds,  and  the 
famous  Tennessee  Pass,  10,440  feet  above 
the  sea  level.  This  is  the  great  watershed 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  two  drops  of 
water  from  a  cloud  falling  here, — the  one 
on  the  one  side  and  the  other  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Pass, — are  separated  forever. 
One  runs  to  the  Atlantic  Ocean  through 
rivers  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  other 
to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  So  there  is  the  part- 
ing of  the  ways  in  human  experience.  There 
are  the  two  ways,  and  the  little  turns  of  life 
determine  your  eternal  destiny ! 

Even  after  a  night  of  travel  through  the 
mountains  and  across  the  Colorado  Desert, 
we  still,  in  the  morning,  find  our  train  speed- 
ing on  amid  imposing  hills,  but  now  we  are 
in  Utah.  This  we  entered  at  Utah  Line. 
At  length  we  cross  the  Pass  of  the  Wahsatch 
Mountains  at  Soldier  Summit,  7,465  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  some  thirty  miles  farther 


WESTWARD  31 

west  we  enter  the  picturesque  Utah  Valley. 
At  length  we  see  the  stream  of  the  River 
Jordan,  which  is  the  connecting  link  between 
Utah  Lake  and  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  and  at 
last  we  find  ourselves  in  the  city  founded  by 
Brigham  Young  and  his  pioneer  followers 
in  1847.  There  is  a  monument  of  the  Mor- 
mon prophet  in  Salt  Lake  City,  commem- 
orating this  founding.  Standing  on  the  hill 
above  the  present  city  and  looking  out  on 
the  great  valley,  with  his  left  hand  uplifted, 
he  said :  "  Here  we  will  found  an  empire !  " 
And  here  to-day  in  this  city,  which  bears  his 
marks  everywhere,  is  a  population  of  54,000 
souls,  two-thirds  of  whom  profess  the  Mor- 
mon faith. 

Here  we  were  met  by  Bishop  Abiel  Leon- 
ard, D.D.,  of  Salt  Lake,  who  was  a  most 
gracious  host  and  who  welcomed  us  with 
all  the  warmth  of  his  heart.  He  had  en- 
gaged accommodations  for  us  at  the  Cullen 
House;  and  when  I  went  to  my  room,  I 
looked  out  on  a  courtyard  bounded  on  one 
side  by  the  rear  end  of  a  long  block  of  stores. 
There  I  saw  a  wagon  which  had  just  been 
driven  into  the  grounds.     Two  men  were  on 


32         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  seat,  the  driver  and  another  person,  and 
seated  on  the  floor  of  the  wagon,  with  their 
backs  toward  me,  were  four  women.  They 
wore  no  hats,  as  the  day  was  balmy,  and  I 
noticed  that  one  had  flaxen,  another  brown, 
and  the  two  others  dark  hair.  Seeing  every- 
thing here  with  a  Mormon  colouring,  I  said, 
"  This  is  a  Mormon  family.  The  Mormon 
farmer  has  come  to  town  to  give  his  four 
wives  a  holiday."  It  reminded  me  of  similar 
groups  which  I  had  seen  in  old  Cairo,  on 
Fridays,  when  the  Mohammedan  went  with 
his  wives  in  the  donkey  cart  to  the  Mosque. 
And  is  there  not  a  strong  resemblance  be- 
tween Mormon  and  Mohammedan?  The 
Mormon  husband  alighted  and  gently  and 
affectionately  took  up  one  of  his  wives  and 
carried  her  into  the  adjoining  store,  then  a 
second,  and  a  third.  My  interest  deepened 
as  I  watched  the  proceeding.  I  said  to  my- 
self— "  How  devoted  these  Mormon  hus- 
bands, if  this  is  a  true  example,  and  how 
trusting  the  women !  "  When  he  took  up 
the  fourth  wife  to  carry  her  in  where  her 
companions  were,  he  turned  her  face  toward 
me,  so  that  I  had  a  good  view  of  her,  and 


WESTWARD  33 

then,  to  my  surprise,  nay,  amazement,  I  dis- 
covered that  she  had  no  feet!  But  quickly 
it  dawned  on  my  mind,  that,  instead  of  real, 
living  Mormon  wives,  I  had  been  looking  on 
waxen  figures,  models  for  show  windows ! 
Well,  are  there  not  manikins  in  human  life, 
unreal  creatures,  who  never  accomplish  more 
than  the  models  in  the  windows,  who  may 
be  looked  at,  but  who  perform  no  noble  and 
lasting  deeds  ? 

Our  sojourn  in  Salt  Lake  City  gave  ample 
time  to  visit  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  eighty  miles 
long  and  thirty  miles  wide,  with  two  princi- 
pal islands,  Antelope  and  Stansbury;  to 
make  a  complete  study  of  the  city,  whose 
streets  run  at  right  angles  to  each  other, 
with  one  street  straight  as  an  arrow  and 
twenty  miles  long,  and  many  of  them  bor- 
dered with  poplar  trees  which,  as  has  been 
facetiously  said,  were  "  popular "  with 
Brigham  Young;  to  attend  the  Saturday 
afternoon  recital  on  the  great  organ,  in  the 
Tabernacle,  which  is  oval  in  shape,  and  has 
a  roof  like  a  turtle's  back,  and  where  some 
three  thousand  people  were  assembled;  to 
walk  around  Temple  Square  and  examine 


34         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  architecture  of  the  Mormon  Temple, 
which  is  like  a  great  Cathedral,  and  into 
which  no  one  is  admitted  but  the  specially 
initiated  and  privileged  among  the  Latter- 
day  Saints;  to  visit  many  buildings  famous 
in  Mormon  history,  and  especially  "  Zion's 
Co-operative  Mutual  Institute,"  which,  in  its 
initials  has  been  said  wittily  to  mean,  "  Zion's 
Children  Multiply  Incessantly;"  and  on 
Sunday  morning  to  attend  the  beautiful 
service  in  St.  Mark's  Church,  where  Bishop 
Tuttle,  of  Missouri,  preached  a  striking  ser- 
mon from  the  text  "  A  horse  is  counted  but 
a  vain  thing  to  save  a  man ;  "  and  in  the 
evening  to  participate  in  the  grand  mission- 
ary service  in  Salt  Lake  Theatre,  where  the 
congregation  was  led  by  a  choir  of  sixty 
voices,  and  stirring  addresses  were  made  by 
Bishop  Leonard  of  Salt  Lake,  Bishop  Gailor 
of  Tennessee,  Bishop  Jacob,  of  Newcastle, 
England,  Bishop  Dudley,  of  Kentucky,  and 
Bishop  Tuttle,  who  was  formerly  Bishop 
here,  before  an  audience  of  four  thousand 
people,  made  up,  as  the  Bishop  said,  of 
"  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Congregation- 


WESTWARD  35 

alists,  Hebrews,  Latter-Day  Saints  and 
Churchmen." 

What  I  saw  and  heard  here  in  Salt  Lake 
City  and  in  other  parts  of  Utah  would  make 
a  book  of  itself,  but  I  may  say  that  the  only 
place  in  which  to  study  Mormonism  in  all 
its  workings  is  here  in  its  seat.  While 
polygamy  must  drop  out  of  the  system  owing 
to  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  the  religious 
elements  will  not  so  soon  perish.  It  has 
enough  of  Christianity  in  it  to  give  it  a  cer- 
tain stability  like  Mohammedanism;  but  we 
believe  that  the  Church  of  the  Living  God 
will  sooner  or  later  triumph  over  all  forms 
and  teachings  which  are  antagonistic  to  the 
Christian  Creeds  and  Apostolic  Order.  I 
visited  a  Mormon  bookstore,  among  other 
places,  and  I  was  amazed  at  the  number  of 
volumes  which  I  found  here  on  the  religion 
of  the  Latter-Day  Saints.  In  a  history  of 
Mormonism,  which  I  opened,  was  this  preg- 
nant sentence — "  The  pernicious  tendency  of 
Luther's  doctrine."  Surely  here  is  some- 
thing for  reflection! 

From  Salt  Lake  City  to  Ogden,  the  great 


36         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

centre  of  railway  travel,  where  several  lines 
converge,  is  but  a  ride  of  thirty-six  miles. 
Here  the  train,  which  was  very  heavy,  was 
divided  into  two  sections,  and,  after  some 
delay,  we  went  on  our  journey  with  hopeful 
hearts.  The  Salt  Lake  Valley  and  the  Great 
Salt  Lake,  which  we  had  traced  for  a  long 
distance,  finally  disappeared  from  view.  The 
journey  was  begun  from  Ogden  on  what  is 
known  as  Pacific  time.  There  are  four  time 
sections  employed  in  the  United  States, 
adopted  for  convenience  in  1883, — Eastern, 
Central,  Mountain,  and  Pacific.  It  is  East- 
ern time  until  you  reach  825/2  degrees  west 
longitude  from  Greenwich,  Central  time  up 
to  97.^2,  Mountain  time  till  you  arrive  at 
\\2y2,  Pacific  time  to  127^/2,  which  will  take 
you  out  into  the  Pacific  Ocean ;  and  there  is 
just  one  hour's  difference  between  each  time 
section,  covering  fifteen  degrees.  So  that 
when  it  is  twelve  o'clock,  midday,  in  New 
York  city,  it  is  eleven  in  Chicago,  ten 
o'clock  in  Denver,  and  nine  o'clock  in  San 
Francisco.  You  adapt  yourself,  however, 
very  readily  to  these  changes  of  time,  in 
your  hours  of  sleep  and  in  other  matters. 


WESTWARD  2,7 

One  of  the  places  of  special  interest 
through  which  we  passed  before  leaving 
Utah  is  Promontory.  Here  the  last  tie  was 
laid  and  here  the  last  spike  was  driven,  on 
the  ioth  of  May,  1869,  when  the  Central 
Pacific  and  the  Union  Pacific  Railways  were 
united  and  the  great  cities  of  the  Atlantic 
seaboard  and  San  Francisco  at  the  setting 
sun  were  brought  into  communication  with 
each  other  by  an  iron  way  which  has  pro- 
moted our  civilisation  in  a  marked  degree. 
A  night  ride  over  the  Alkali  Plains  of  Ne- 
vada, famous  for  their  sage  brush,  was  a 
novelty,  and  in  the  clear  atmosphere  they 
looked  like  fields  of  snow. 

At  Wadsworth,  where  our  train  began  to 
ascend  the  lower  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada Mountains,  were  several  Piute  Indians. 
They  sell  beads,  blankets,  baskets,  and  other 
mementoes.  A  papoose,  all  done  up  in 
swathing  bands,  aroused  no  little  curiosity, 
and  when  some  venturesome  passenger  with 
a  kodak  tried  to  take  a  picture  of  the  infant, 
the  mother  quickly  turned  away.  They 
think  that  the  kodak  is  "  the  evil  eye."  There 
was  an  old  squaw  here  with  whom  I  con- 


274432 


38         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

versed,  who  had  a  remarkable  face  on  ac- 
count of  its  wrinkled  condition.  She  said 
her  name  was  Marie  Martile,  and  at  first 
she  said  she  was  one  hundred  years  old,  and 
later  that  she  was  one  hundred  and  fifty. 
At  Reno  I  saw  more  Indians  with  papooses. 
The  thought,  however,  that  this  old  race  is 
passing  away  like  the  fading  leaf  before  the 
"  pale  face,"  is  saddening.  Soon  we  arrive 
in  the  El  Dorado  State,  we  are  at  last  on 
California  soil,  and  the  train  with  panting 
engines  climbs  the  dizzy  heights  of  the 
Sierras,  through  beautiful  forests,  along  the 
slopes  of  hills,  through  tunnels,  beneath  long 
snow  sheds.  These  sheds  are  a  striking 
feature,  and  are,  with  broken  intervals,  forty 
miles  long.  The  scenery  is  remarkable,  en- 
tirely different  from  that  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains; and  Donner  Lake,  into  whose  clear 
depths  we  look  from  lofty  heights,  recalls 
the  terrible  story  of  hardship,  isolation,  suf- 
fering and  death,  here  in  the  winter  of  1846 
and  1847,  when  snow-fall  on  snow-fall  cut 
the  elder  Donners  and  several  members  of 
this  party  off  from  the  outside  world,  and 


WESTWARD  39 

they  perished  from  cold  and  starvation.   Oh, 
what  a  tragic,  harrowing-  history  it  is ! 

At  Summit  Station,  the  loftiest  point  of 
the  pass  over  the  Sierras,  in  the  path  of  our 
railway,  engines  are  changed,  and  while  the 
train  halts  passengers  amuse  themselves  by 
making  snowballs.  Then  we  begin  the  de- 
scent along  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  into 
the  great  valleys  of  California.  Already  we 
have  passed  from  the  region  of  perpetual 
snows  to  a  milder  clime.  We  begin  to  feel 
the  tempered  breezes  from  the  Pacific  fan- 
ning our  cheeks.  Yes,  we  are  now  in  the 
land  of  a  semi-tropical  vegetation,  a  land 
of  beauty  and  fertility,  which  in  many  re- 
spects resembles  Palestine;  and  surely  it  is 
a  Promised  Land,  rich  in  God's  good  gifts. 
Blue  Canon  and  Cape  Horn  and  beautiful 
landscapes  with  vineyards  and  orange  groves 
are  passed,  and  as  night  with  its  sable  pall 
descends  upon  us,  we  rest  in  peace  with  a 
feeling  of  satisfaction  and  thankfulness  to 
Him  Who  has  led  us  safely  by  the  way  thus 
far.  When  the  train  halted  at  Sacramento, 
I  had  a  midnight  view  of  it,  and  then  we 


40         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

sped  on  to  our  destination.  Some  three 
weeks  later,  in  company  with  Rev.  Dr.  Ash- 
ton,  I  visited  the  valley  west  of  Sacramento, 
Suisun  and  Benicia,  that  I  might  not  lose  the 
view  which  night  had  obscured.  The  Car- 
quinez  Straits,  with  the  railway  ferryboat 
"  Solano,"  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  and  the  upper  view  of  the  great  Bay 
of  San  Francisco,  make  a  deep  impression 
on  the  mind.  I  was  well  repaid  for  all  my 
pains.  But  on  that  first  night,  as  we  ha- 
stened to  our  goal,  amid  landscapes  of  beauty 
and  fruitfulness  traversed  in  the  olden  days 
by  the  feet  of  pioneers  and  gold-seekers,  it 
all  seemed  as  if  we  were  in  fairyland.  Will 
the  dream  be  substantial  when  we  enter  the 
City  by  the  Golden  Gate  ? 


CHAPTER  II 

VIEWS   FROM   THE   BOAT   ON   THE   BAY 

Arrival  at  Oakland — "  Ticket !  " — On  the  Ferryboat 
— The  City  of  "  Live  Oaks  " — Mr.  Young,  a  Citi- 
zen of  Oakland — Distinguished  Members  of  Gen- 
eral Convention — Alameda — Berkeley  and  Its  Uni- 
versity— Picturesque  Scenery — Yerba  Buena,  Al- 
catraz  and  Angel  Islands — San  Francisco  at  Last. 

It  was  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday, 
October  the  second,  1901,  when  I  had  my 
first  view  of  that  Queen  City  of  the  Pacific 
coast,  San  Francisco.  Our  train,  fully  nine 
hours  late,  in  our  journey  from  Salt  Lake 
City,  arrived  at  its  destination  on  the  great 
Oakland  pier  or  mole  at  2  130  a.  m.  The 
understanding  with  the  conductor  the  eve- 
ning before,  as  we  were  descending  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains,  was  that  we  would  not 
be  disturbed  until  day  break.  When  the  end 
of  our  long  journey  was  reached  I  was 
oblivious  to  the  world  of  matter  in  midnight 
slumber;  but  as  soon  as  the  wheels  of  the 
4i 


42         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

sleeping  coach  had  ceased  to  revolve  I  was 
aroused  with  the  cry,  "  Ticket !  "  First  I 
thought  I  was  dreaming,  as  I  had  heard  the 
phrase,  "  Show  your  tickets,"  so  often ;  but 
the  light  of  "  a  lantern  dimly  burning  "  and 
a  stalwart  figure  standing  before  the  cur- 
tains of  my  sleeping  berth,  soon  convinced 
me  that  I  was  in  a  world  of  reality.  This, 
I  may  say,  was  my  only  experience  of  the 
kind,  in  all  my  travelling  over  the  Southern 
Pacific  Railway,  the  Sante  Fe,  and  the  Mex- 
ican International  and  Mexican  Central  Rail- 
ways. There  was  little  sleep  after  the  in- 
terruption ;  and  when  the  morning  came  with 
its  interest  and  novelty  I  was  ready  to  pro- 
ceed across  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco.  Our 
faithful  porter,  John  Williams,  whose  name 
is  worthy  of  mention  in  these  pages,  as 
I  stepped  from  the  Pullman  car,  said, 
"  Good-bye,  Colonel !  "  He  always  ad- 
dressed me  as  "  Colonel."  The  porters  on 
all  the  western  roads  and  on  the  Mexican 
railways  are  polite  and  obliging,  and  a  word 
of  commendation  must  be  said  for  them  as 
a  class. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  James  W.  Ashton,  of  Olean, 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY         43 

N.  Y.,  my  fellow-traveller,  and  I  were  soon 
in  the  ferry  house.  We  ascended  a  wide 
staircase  and  then  found  ourselves  in  a  large 
waiting  room,  through  whose  windows  I 
looked  out  on  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  for 
the  first  time.  Off  in  the  distance,  in  the 
morning  light,  I  could  catch  a  glimpse  of 
the  Golden  City  of  the  West.  Near  by  was 
a  departing  ferryboat  bound  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. Just  then  a  young  man,  evidently  a 
stranger,  accompanied  by  a  young  woman, 
apparently  a  bride,  accosted  me  and  asked 
the  question,  "  Sir,  do  you  think  we  can  get 
on  from  up  here?"  Looking  at  the  bay- 
steamer  fast  receding,  I  assured  him,  some- 
what pensively,  that  I  thought  we  could.  In 
a  few  moments  another  steamer  appeared  in 
view  and  speedily  entered  the  dock.  The 
gates  of  the  ferry  house  were  opened  and  we 
went  on  board  at  once.  Most  of  the  pas- 
sengers at  this  early  hour  were  those  who 
had  come  across  the  Sierras,  but  there  were 
a  few  persons  from  Oakland  going  over  to 
their  places  of  business  in  San  Francisco. 
Oakland,  so  named  from  the  abundance  of 
its  live-oaks,  has  been  styled  the  "  Brook- 


44         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

lyn  "  of  San  Francisco.  It  is  largely  a  place 
of  residence  for  business  men,  and  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty  thousand  cross  the  Bay  daily 
in  pursuit  of  their  avocations.  It  is  pleas- 
antly situated  on  the  east  side  of  the  Bay, 
gradually  rising  up  to  the  terraced  hills 
which  skirt  it  on  the  east.  The  streets  are 
regularly  laid  out  and  lined  with  shade  trees 
of  tropical  luxuriance  as  well  as  the  live- 
oaks.  Pretty  lawns,  green  and  well  kept, 
are  in  front  of  many  of  the  houses  in  the 
residence  part  of  the  city,  and  here  the  eye 
has  a  continual  feast  in  gazing  on  flowers 
in  bloom,  fuschias,  verbenas,  geraniums  and 
roses  especially.  At  a  later  day  I  visited 
Oakland,  and  found  it  just  as  beautiful  and 
attractive  as  it  looked  in  the  distance  from 
the  deck  of  the  ferry  boat.  It  has  several 
banks,  numerous  churches,  five  of  our  own 
faith,  with  some  twelve  hundred  communi- 
cants, also  good  schools,  and  some  fine  busi- 
ness blocks.  Trolley  cars  conduct  you 
through  its  main  streets  in  all  directions. 
Landing  at  the  Oakland  pier,  one  of  the 
largest  in  the  world,  and  extending  out  into 
the  Bay  some  two  miles  from  the  shore,  the 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY  45 

Southern  Pacific  Railway  will  soon  carry 
you  to  the  station  within  the  city  limits.  As 
you  wander  hither  and  thither  you  see  on 
all  sides  tokens  of  prosperity.  There  is  an 
air  of  refinement  about  the  place,  and  you 
find  the  atmosphere  clear  and  stimulating. 
There  is  not  a  very  marked  difference  in  the 
temperature  of  the  climate  between  summer 
and  winter.  Frosts  are  unknown.  It  is  no 
disparagement  to  San  Francisco  to  say  that 
Oakland  for  delicate  persons  is  more  desir- 
able. The  trade  winds  as  they  blow  from 
the  Pacific  ocean,  and  make  one  robust  and 
hardy  in  San  Francisco,  when  there  is 
vitality  to  resist  them,  are  tempered  as  they 
blow  across  the  Bay  some  fourteen  miles  or 
more,  while  the  fogs,  so  noted,  as  they  rush 
in  through  the  Golden  Gate  and  speed  on- 
ward, are  greatly  modified  as  they  reach  the 
further  shore.  As  it  has  such  a  splendid 
climate  and  natural  advantages,  and  enjoys 
the  distinction  of  being  at  the  terminus  of 
the  great  overland  railway  systems,  it  is 
constantly  attracting  to  itself  population  and 
capital.  Ten  years  ago  it  had  48,682  in- 
habitants; to-day  it  numbers  66,960. 


46         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Its  people  are  very  hospitable  and  are 
glad  to  welcome  the  traveller  from  the  east 
to  their  comfortable  homes.  On  the  ferry 
boat  I  was  accosted  by  a  ruddy-faced  and 
genial  gentleman,  a  Mr.  Young,  a  resident 
of  Oakland,  who  was  proceeding  to  his 
place  of  business  in  San  Francisco.  He 
gave  me  some  valuable  information,  and 
pointed  out  objects  and  places  of  interest. 
He  seemed  to  be  well  informed  about  the 
General  Convention  appointed  to  meet  on 
the  day  of  my  arrival,  in  Trinity  church, 
San  Francisco.  He  spoke  with  intelligence 
about  its  character  and  purpose,  and  with 
enthusiasm  concerning  its  members  whom 
he  had  met  as  they  were  crossing  the  Bay. 
The  names  of  Bishop  Doane,  of  Albany, 
Bishop  Potter,  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  J. 
Pierpont  Morgan,  were  as  household  words 
on  his  lips,  and  there  was  a  gleam  of  delight 
in  his  eye  as  he  pictured  to  us  the  pleasures 
and  surprises  in  store  for  us  during  our  so- 
journ in  the  Capital  of  the  Golden  West. 

"  That  town,"  said  he,  "  which  you  see 
to  the  south  of  Oakland,  with  its  long  mole, 
is  Alameda.     It  is  a  great  place  of  resort,  a 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY  47 

kind  of  pleasure  grove.  Alameda  in  the 
Spanish  language  means  '  Poplar  Avenue.' 
Many  people  go  there  on  excursions  and 
picnic  parties  from  San  Francisco,  and  other 
places  along  the  Bay.  It  is,  as  you  see,  a 
very  pretty  spot.  In  time  it  will  become  a 
part  of  Oakland.  It  has  to-day  a  popula- 
tion of  over  sixteen  thousand  people." 
When  I  asked  him  if  it  had  an  Episcopal 
Church,  he  said,  "  Yes.  Its  name  is  Christ 
Church,  and  there  are  in  it  four  hundred 
communicants.  Do  you  know  its  rector? 
He  is  the  Rev.  Thomas  James  Lacey."  Mr. 
Young,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts 
and  just  as  proud  of  California  as  he  was  of 
his  old  home  in  the  east,  turned  with  con- 
siderable elation  to  Berkeley,  the  University 
town.  "  There,"  said  he,  "  to  the  north  of 
Oakland  is  Berkeley,  with  a  population  of 
thirteen  thousand.  It  is,  as  you  see,  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  San  Pablo  hills,  and  is 
about  eleven  miles  from  the  Market  street 
ferry  in  San  Francisco.  To  reach  it  you  go 
by  ferry  to  the  Oakland  pier  and  then  take 
the  cars  on  the  Southern  Pacific  road."  As 
I  gazed  northward,  there,  as  a  right  arm  of 


48         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Oakland,  was  the  classic  town  with  its  aris- 
tocratic name,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the 
hills  in  the  midst  of  trees  and  flowers.  It 
was  like  a  dainty  picture  with  the  Bay  in 
the  foreground.  A  nearer  view  or  a  visit  to 
it  brings  the  traveller  into  line  with  the 
Golden  Gate,  through  which  his  eye  wanders 
straight  out  into  the  Pacific  ocean  with  all 
its  mystery  and  grandeur.  The  University 
of  California  was  organised  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  in  1868.  A  law  passed  then  set 
apart  for  its  work  $200,000,  proceeds  from 
the  sale  of  tide  lands.  To  this  endowment 
was  added  the  sum  of  $100,000,  from  a 
"  Seminary  and  Public  Building  Fund." 
There  was  also  applied  to  the  new  univer- 
sity another  fund  of  $120,000,  realised  from 
the  old  college  of  California,  which  had  been 
organised  in  1855.  Then  by  an  act  of  Con- 
gress appropriating  150,000  acres  of  land 
for  an  Agricultural  College,  which  is  a  part 
of  the  equipment  of  the  University,  it  be- 
came still  richer.  It  embraces  250  acres 
within  the  area  of  its  beautiful  grounds,  and 
so  has  ample  room  for  expansion.  It  has 
departments   of   Letters,    Science,   Agricul- 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY         49 

ture,  Mechanics,  Engineering,  Chemistry, 
Mining,  Medicine,  Dentistry,  Pharmacy, 
Astronomy  and  Law.  The  famous  Lick 
Observatory,  stationed  on  Mount  Hamilton 
near  San  Jose,  is  a  part  of  the  institution. 
It  has  prospered  greatly  under  its  present 
efficient  President,  Benjamin  Ide  Wheeler, 
LL.D. ;  and  it  now  has  three  hundred  in- 
structors, with  over  three  thousand  students. 
Tuition  is  free  to  all  students  except  in  the 
professional  departments.  It  has  a  splendid 
library  of  seventy-three  thousand  volumes. 
It  will  be  readily  seen  that  with  such  an 
institution  of  learning,  and  with  the  Leland 
Stanford  Jr.  University,  at  Palo  Alto,  the 
State  of  California  is  giving  diligent  atten- 
tion to  matters  of  education.  While  also 
there  are  the  various  schools  and  academies 
and  seminaries  of  the  different  denomina- 
tions, it  may  be  said  that  the  church  is  not 
backward  in  this  respect.  St.  Margaret's 
School  for  girls,  and  St.  Matthew's  School 
for  boys,  as  well  as  the  Church  Divinity 
School  of  the  Pacific,  at  San  Mateo,  where 
Bishop  Nichols  resides,  and  the  Irving  In- 
stitute for  girls,  and  Trinity  School  in  San 


50         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Francisco,  are  an  evidence  of  what  she  is 
doing  for  the  welfare  of  the  people  intellec- 
tually, aside  from  her  spiritual  ministrations 
in  the  dioceses  of  California  and  Los  Angeles 
and  the  Missionary  Jurisdiction  of  Sacra- 
mento. Mr.  Young  was  forward  to  men- 
tion the  fact  that  in  Berkeley  there  is  the 
large  and  influential  parish  of  Saint  Mark 
with  a  list  of  nearly  four  hundred  communi- 
cants ;  and  this  is  a  great  factor  for  good  in 
the  life  of  such  a  unique  University  town. 
As  my  eyes  turned  away  from  Berkeley,  I 
naturally  recalled  the  great  Bishop  of 
Cloyne,  after  whom  the  place  is  named ;  and 
as  I  took  into  view  the  wider  range  of  the 
coast  lands,  and  the  blue  waters  of  the  mag- 
nificent Bay,  some  fifty  miles  in  length,  and, 
on  an  average,  eight  miles  wide,  and  re- 
flected on  the  significance  which  attaches  to 
this  favoured  region,  and  the  influences 
which  go  out  from  this  seat  of  power,  and 
fountain  head  of  riches,  I  instinctively  re- 
called the  noble  lines  which  the  eighteenth 
century  prophet  wrote  when  he  mused,  "  On 
the  Prospect  of  Planting  Arts  and  Learning 
in  America:  " 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY  51 

"  Westward   the   course   of   empire   takes    its    way ; 
The  four  first  acts  already  past, 
A  fifth  shall  close  the  drama  with  the  day: 
Time's  noblest  offspring  is  the  last." 

East  of  us,  in  picturesqueness,  as  in  a 
panorama  spread  out,  were  the  counties  of 
Alameda  and  Contra  Costa,  with  their  re- 
ceding hills,  and  Mount  Diablo,  3,855  feet  in 
height,  lifting  up  its  head  proudly.  Farther 
to  the  south  was  the  rich  and  beautiful  valley 
of  Santa  Clara,  with  its  orchards  and  vine- 
yards. On  the  west  across  the  Bay  were 
the  counties  of  San  Mateo,  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, with  their  teeming  life,  covering  a 
Peninsula  twenty-six  miles  long,  and  ex- 
tending up  to  the  Golden  Gate ;  while  off  to 
the  north,  and  bordering  on  the  ocean  was 
Marin  in  its  grandeur,  crowned  with  Tamal- 
pais,  2,606  feet  above  the  sea ; — and  skirting 
San  Pablo  Bay  was  Sonoma  with  its  vine- 
clad  vale.  There  were  the  islands  of  the 
Bay  also,  which  attracted  our  attention. 
Not  far  from  the  Oakland  pier  is  Goat  Is- 
land rising  to  the  height  of  340  feet  out  of 
the  waters,  and  consisting  of  300  acres.  It 
was  brown  on  that  October  morning  when 


52         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

I  first  saw  it,  but  when  the  rains  come  with 
refreshment  in  November  the  islands  and 
all  the  surrounding  country  are  invested 
with  a  robe  of  emerald  green,  and  flowers 
spring  up  to  gladden  the  eyes.  Goat  Island 
was  so  named  because  goats  which  were 
brought  in  ships  from  southern  ports  to  San 
Francisco,  for  fresh  meat,  wrere  turned  loose 
here  for  pasturage  for  a  time;  and  as  these 
creatures  multiplied  the  island  took  their 
name.  But  it  formerly  bore  the  more  eu- 
phonious title,  Yerba  Buena,  which  means 
in  Spanish  "  Good  Herbs."  Later  in  my 
journey ings  to  and  fro  I  overheard  a  lady 
instructing  another  person  as  to  the  proper 
way  in  which  to  pronounce  it,  and  she  made 
sad  work  of  it.  She  gave  the  "  B  "  the 
sound  of  the  letter  G.  It  also  had  another 
name,  as  you  may  learn  from  an  old  Span- 
ish map  of  Miguel  Costanso,  where  it  is 
called — Ysla  de  Mai  Abrigo,  which  means 
that  it  afforded  poor  shelter.  It  is  a  govern- 
ment possession,  as  also  the  other  islands, 
Alcatraz  and  Angel.  Alcatraz,  which  Cos- 
tanso styles,  White  Island,  is  smaller  than 
Yerba  Buena.     In  its  greatest  elevation  it  is 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY  53 

135  feet  above  the  Bay,  and  it  embraces  in 
its  surface  about  thirty-five  acres,  about  the 
same  area  as  the  Haram  Esh-Sherif,  or 
sacred  enclosure  of  the  Temple  Hill  in  Jeru- 
salem, with  the  Mosque  of  Omar  and  the 
Mosque  el-Aksa.  On  its  top  is  a  light- 
house, which,  on  a  clear  night,  sailors 
can  see  twelve  miles  outside  of  the  Golden 
Gate.  Nature,  with  her  wise  forethought, 
seems  indeed  to  have  formed  this  island 
opposite  the  Golden  Gate,  far  inside,  in  the 
Bay,  as  a  sentinel  to  watch  that  pass  into  the 
Pacific,  and  to  guide  the  returning  voyager 
after  his  perilous  journeyings  to  safe  moor- 
ings in  a  land-locked  haven.  Farther  to  the 
north  is  Ysla  de  los  Angeles,  Angel  Island, 
with  a  varied  landscape  of  hill  and  plain, 
comprising  some  800  acres  of  land. 

Here  are'  natural  springs  of  water,  and  in 
the  early  days  it  was  well  wooded  with  live- 
oak  trees.  To  the  eyes  of  Drake  and  other 
early  navigators  and  explorers  it  must  have 
been  a  vision  of  beauty,  lifting  itself  out  of 
the  waters.  Not  many  trees  are  seen  here 
now,  however,  but  you  may  behold  instead 
in  harvest  time  fields  of  grain.     It  is  espe- 


54         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

daily  noted  for  its  stone  quarries,  and  out  of 
these  were  taken  the  materials  for  the  forti- 
fications of  Alcatraz  and  Fort  Point — as 
well  as  the  California  bank  building.  It  was 
my  privilege  at  a  later  day,  in  company  with 
many  of  the  members  of  the  General  Con- 
vention to  sail  over  the  Bay  and  around  these 
islands,  which  one  can  never  forget.  The 
steamer  "  Berkeley  "  was  courteously  placed 
at  the  service  of  the  members  of  the  Conven- 
tion by  the  officers  of  the  Southern  Pacific 
Railway;  and  it  was  indeed  a  most  enjoy- 
able afternoon  under  clear  and  balmy  skies 
as  we  rode  along  the  shores  of  the  Peninsula, 
and  up  the  eastern  side  of  the  Bay,  and 
northward  towards  San  Pablo,  and  then 
around  Angel  Island  and  Alcatraz  strongly 
fortified,  a  distance  altogether  of  forty  miles. 
But  now  on  the  first  morning,  veiled  partly 
with  clouds,  San  Francisco  rises  on  the  view, 
that  city  of  so  many  memories  by  the  waters 
of  the  Pacific,  where  many  a  one  has  been 
wrecked  in  body  and  soul  as  well  as  in  for- 
tune, while  others  have  grown  rich  and 
have  led  useful  lives.  Yes,  it  is  San  Fran- 
cisco at  last!    And  while  it  looms  upon  the 


VIEWS  FROM  THE  BAY  55 

view  with  its  varied  landscape,  its  hills  and 
towered  buildings,  I  am  reminded  of  an- 
other October  morning  when  I  first  saw 
Constantinople,  when  old  Stamboul  with  its 
Seraglio  Point,  and  Galata  with  its  tower, 
and  Pera  on  the  heights  above,  and  Yildiz 
to  the  east,  and  Scutari  across  the  Bos- 
phorus,  all  were  revealed  gradually  as  the 
mists  rolled  away.  So  the  Golden  City  of 
the  West  is  disclosed  to  view  as  the  shadows 
disappear  and  the  clouds  break  and  flee 
away  and  the  morning  sun  hastening  across 
the  lofty  Sierras  gilds  the  homes  of  the  rich 
and  poor  alike,  and  bathes  water  and  land  in 
beauty.  There  is  another  city  on  the  shore 
of  a  tideless  sea,  and  it  will  be  the  joyful 
morning  of  eternal  life,  when,  earthly  jour- 
neys ended,  we  walk  over  its  golden  streets ! 


CHAPTER  III 

SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD 

San  Francisco  —  Her  Hills  —  Her  Landscapes  — 
Population  of  Different  Decades  —  The  Flag  on  the 
Plaza  in  1846  —  Yerba  Buena  its  Earliest  Name  — 
First  Englishman  and  First  American  to  Build 
Here  —  The  Palace  Hotel  —  The  Story  of  the 
Discovery  of  Gold  in  1848  —  Sutter  and  Marshall 
—  The  News  Spread  Abroad  —  Multitudes  Flock 
to  the  Gold  Mines  —  San  Francisco  in  1849. 

As  we  stand  on  the  deck  of  the  bay 
steamer  and  are  fast  approaching  the  San 
Francisco  ferry-house  which  looms  up  be- 
fore us  in  dignity,  we  look  out  on  a  great 
city  with  a  population  of  350,000  souls,  and 
we  observe  that  it  is  seated  on  hills  as  well 
as  on  lowlands.  Rome  loved  her  hills,  Cor- 
inth had  her  Acropolis,  and  Athens,  rising 
out  of  the  Plain  of  Attica,  was  not  content 
until  she  had  crowned  Mars'  Hill  with  al- 
tars and  her  Acropolis  with  her  Parthenon. 
Here  in  this  golden  city  of  the  Pacific  the 
56 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  57 

houses  are  climbing  the  hills,  nay  they  have 
climbed  them  already  and  they  vie  in  stateli- 
ness  with  palaces  and  citadels  in  the  old  his- 
toric places  which  give  picturesqueness  to 
the  coast  lands  of  the  Mediterranean.  There 
is  indeed  in  the  aspect  of  San  Francisco,  in 
her  waters  and  her  skies,  and  all  her  sur- 
roundings, that  which  recalls  to  my  mind 
landscapes  and  scenery  of  Italy  and  Greece 
and  old  Syria.  Yonder  to  the  northeast  of 
the  city  is  Telegraph  Hill,  294  feet  high, 
a  spot  which  in  the  olden  days,  that  is,  as 
far  back  only  as  1849,  was  wooded.  Now 
it  is  teeming  with  life,  and  it  looks  down 
with  seeming  satisfaction  on  miles  and  miles 
of  streets  and  warehouses  and  dwellings  of 
rich  and  poor.  But  there  are  not  many  poor 
people  in  this  Queen  City.  In  all  my  wan- 
derings about  the  city  for  a  month,  I  was 
never  accosted  by  a  professional  beggar. 
Everybody  could  find  work  to  do,  and  all 
seemed  prosperous  and  happy.  Off  to  the 
west,  serving  as  a  sentinel,  is  Russian  Hill, 
360  feet  high.  It  is  a  striking  feature  in 
the  ever-expanding  city,  and  it  is  a  notable 
landmark  for  the  San  Franciscan.     In  the 


58         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

southeastern  part  of  the  city  is  Rincon  Hill, 
1 20  feet  in  height,  attracting  to  itself  the 
interest  of  that  part  of  the  population  whose 
homes  are  in  its  shadow.  There  are  other 
hills  of  lesser  importance  as  to  altitude,  but 
over  their  tops  extend  long  streets  and  broad 
avenues  lined  with  the  dwellings  of  a  con- 
tented and  thrifty  people.  The  business 
blocks  and  hotels,  the  printing  houses  and 
railway  and  steamship  offices,  the  stores 
and  art  galleries,  the  places  of  amuse- 
ment and  lecture  halls,  the  stores  and 
shops,  the  homes  and  the  churches,  fill  all 
the  spaces  between  those  hills  in  a  compact 
manner  and  run  around  them  and  stretch 
beyond  them,  and  at  your  feet,  as  you  stand 
on  an  eminence,  is  a  panorama  of  life  which 
at  once  arrests  your  attention  and  enchains 
your  mind.  It  was  all  so  different  fifty  or 
sixty  years  ago.  According  to  the  census 
returns  the  population  of  San  Francisco  in 
1850  was  34,000.  In  i860  there  was  a  gain 
of  22,802.  In  1870  there  were  in  the  city 
149,473  souls;  while  in  1880  there  was  a 
population  of  233,959  including  30,000 
Chinese.     The  census  of  1890  gives  an  in- 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  59 

crease  of  64,038  during  the  decade,  and  the 
last  enumeration  shows  that  there  has  been 
a  gain  of  44,785  in  the  ten  years.  If  the 
towns  across  the  bay  and  northward,  as  well 
as  San  Mateo  on  the  south,  which  are  as 
much  a  part  of  San  Francisco  as  Brooklyn 
and  Staten  Island  are  of  New  York,  there 
would  be  a  population  of  more  than  450,000. 
The  growth,  as  will  be  seen,  is  steady,  and 
San  Francisco  offers  to  such  as  seek  a  home 
within  her  borders,  all  the  refinements  and 
comforts  of  life,  all  that  ministers  to  the 
intellect  and  the  spiritual  side  of  our  na- 
ture as  well  as  our  social  tastes  and  desires. 
There  can  be  no  greater  contrast  imagin- 
able than  that  between  the  San  Francisco  of 
1846,  when  Commodore  Montgomery,  of 
the  United  States  sloop  of  war  Portsmouth, 
raised  the  American  flag  over  it,  and  the 
noble  city  of  to-day.  And  no  one  then  in 
the  band  of  marines  who  stood  on  the  Plaza 
as  the  flag  was  unfurled  to  the  breeze  by  the 
waters  of  the  Pacific,  in  sight  of  the  great 
bay,  could  have  dreamed  of  the  golden  fu- 
ture which  was  awaiting  California — of  the 
splendour  which  would  rest  on  little  Yerba 


60         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Buena  in  the  lapse  of  time.  Yerba  Buena 
was  the  early  name  of  the  settlement.  This 
was  applied  also,  as  we  have  learned,  to 
Goat  Island.  The  pueblo  was  then  insig- 
nificant and  apparently  with  no  prospect  of 
expansion  or  grandeur.  There  were  only  a 
few  houses  there,  chiefly  of  adobe  construc- 
tion, clustering  about  the  Plaza.  The  Pre- 
sidio, west  of  the  stray  hamlet,  and  the  Mis- 
sion Dolores,  to  the  southwest,  were  all  that 
relieved  a  dreary  landscape  beyond.  There 
were  the  hills  covered  with  chaparral  and 
the  shifting  sands  all  around,  and  far  to  the 
south,  where  now  are  wide  streets  and  great 
blocks  of  buildings.  The  ground  sloped  to- 
wards the  bay  on  the  east,  and  a  cove,  long 
since  filled  in,  which  bore  the  name  of  Yerba 
Buena,  extended  up  to  Montgomery  street. 
The  population  of  the  town  was  less  than  a 
hundred ;  there  was  hardly  this  number  in 
the  Presidio,  and  not  more  than  two  hundred 
people  were  connected  with  the  Mission 
Dolores.  In  1835  Captain  William  A. 
Richardson,  an  Englishman,  the  first  for- 
eigner to  enter  the  embryo  town,  erected  a 
tent   for  his  residence;    and  on  July  4th, 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  61 

1836,  the  second  house  was  built  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Clay  and  Dupont  streets.  The  story- 
runs  that  the  first  American  to  build  a  house 
in  San  Francisco  proper  was  Daniel  Culwer, 
who  also  founded  Santa  Barbara.  This 
pioneer  was  born  in  Maryland  in  1793,  and 
died  in  California  in  1857.  He  lived  long- 
enough  to  see  the  greatness  of  the  city  as- 
sured. But  on  that  day  when  he  finished 
his  modest  house  on  the  corner  of  New 
Montgomery  and  Market  streets,  he  little 
thought  that  in  after  years  there  would 
spring  up,  as  if  by  magic,  under  the  skillful 
hands  of  the  Lelands,  famous  in  San  Fran- 
cisco as  in  Saratoga  in  the  olden  days,  the 
magnificent  Palace  Hotel,  with  its  royal 
court,  its  great  dining  halls,  and  its  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-five  rooms  for  guests,  ri- 
valling in  its  grandeur  and  its  luxurious  ap- 
pointments the  palaces  of  kings. 

The  growth  of  San  Francisco  was  very 
rapid  after  the  discovery  of  gold.  The 
population  immediately  leaped  into  the  thou- 
sands. California  was  the  goal  of  the  gold- 
seeker,  the  El  Dorado  of  his  quest.  Men  in 
search  of  fortune  came  from  all  parts  of  the 


62         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

world  to  the  Golden  West.  It  was  on  the 
19th  of  January,  1848,  that  gold  was  dis- 
covered. The  story  reads  like  a  romance. 
Captain  John  Augustus  Sutter,  who  was 
born  in  Baden,  Germany,  February  15th, 
1803,  after  many  adventures  in  New  York, 
Missouri,  New  Mexico,  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands, and  Sitka,  at  last  found  himself  in  San 
Francisco.  From  this  spot  he  crossed  the 
bay  and  went  up  the  Sacramento  River, 
where  he  built  a  stockade,  known  as  Sutter's 
Fort,  and  erected  a  saw  mill  at  a  cost  of 
$10,000,  and  a  flour  mill  at  an  outlay  of 
$25,000.  Here  in  1847  ne  was  joined  by 
James  Wilson  Marshall,  born  in  New  Jersey 
in  1812.  Marshall  was  sent  up  to  the  North 
Fork  of  the  American  River,  where  at  Colo- 
ma  he  built  a  saw  mill.  This  was  near  the 
center  of  El  Dorado  county,  and  in  a  line 
northeast  from  San  Francisco.  The  mill,  in 
the  midst  of  a  lumber  region,  was  finished 
on  January  15th,  1848,  and  everything  was 
in  readiness  for  the  sawing  of  timber,  which 
was  in  great  demand  in  all  the  coast  towns 
and  brought  a  high  price.  The  mill-race, 
when  the  water  was  let  into  it,  was  found 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  63 

too  shallow,  and  in  order  to  deepen  it  Mar- 
shall opened  the  flood  gates  and  allowed  a 
strong,  steady  volume  of  water  to  flow 
through  it  all  night.  Nature,  aided  by  hu- 
man sagacity,  having  done  her  work  well, 
the  flood  gates  were  closed,  and  there  in  the 
gravel  beneath  the  shallow  stream  lay  sev- 
eral yellow  objects  like  pebbles.  They 
aroused  curiosity.  The  miller  took  one  and 
hammered  it  on  a  stone.  He  found  it  was 
gold.  He  then  gave  one  of  the  "  yellow 
pebbles  "  to  a  Mrs.  Wimmer,  of  his  camp, 
to  be  boiled  in  saleratus  water.  She  threw 
it  into  a  kettle  of  boiling  soap,  and  after  sev- 
eral hours  it  came  out  bright  and  shining. 
It  is  yellow  gold,  California  gold,  there 
can  be  no  mistake!  Next,  we  see  Mar- 
shall, all  excitement,  hastening  to  Sutter's 
Fort,  and  informing  his  employer,  in  a  mys- 
terious way,  that  he  has  found  gold.  Sut- 
ter goes  to  the  mill  the  next  day,  and  Mar- 
shall is  impatiently  waiting  for  him.  More 
water  is  turned  on,  and  the  race  is  ploughed 
deeper,  and  more  nuggets  are  brought  to 
light.  It  is  a  day  of  supreme  joy.  The  ex- 
citement is  great.     Even  the  waters  of  the 


64         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

American  River  seem  to  "  clap  their  hands  " 
and  the  trees  of  the  wood  wave  their  tops 
in  homage  and  rejoice.  At  the  foot  of  the 
Sierras  is  the  hidden  treasure,  which  will 
thrill  the  civilised  world  when  it  hears  the 
tidings  with  a  new  joy,  which  will  bring  de- 
light beyond  measure  to  thousands  of  ad- 
venturers, which  will  enrich  some  beyond 
their  wildest  dreams,  and  which  will  prove 
the  ruin  of  many  an  one,  wrecking,  alas! 
both  soul  and  body.  Sutter's  plan  was  to 
keep  the  wonderful  discovery  a  secret,  but 
this  was  impossible.  Even  the  very  birds 
of  the  air  would  carry  the  news  afar  to  the 
coast  in  their  songs ;  the  waters  of  moun- 
tain streams  running  down  to  the  Sacra- 
mento River  and  on  to  San  Francisco  Bay 
and  out  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  through  the 
Golden  Gate  would  bear  the  report  north 
and  south  to  all  the  cities  and  towns,  to 
Central  and  South  America,  to  China  and 
Japan,  to  Europe  and  more  distant  lands; 
and  the  wings  of  the  wind  would  serve  as 
couriers  to  waft  the  story  across  the  Sierras 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  plains, 
till  the  whole  world  would  be  startled  and 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  65 

gladdened  with  the  cry,  Gold  is  found,  gold 
in  California!  One  of  the  women  of  Sut- 
ter's household  told  the  secret,  which  was  too 
big  to  be  kept  in  hiding,  to  a  teamster,  and 
he,  overjoyed,  in  turn  told  it  to  Merchant 
Smith  and  Merchant  Brannan  of  the  Fort. 
The  "  secret  "  was  out  in  brief  space,  and 
like  an  eagle  with  outspread  wings,  it  flew 
away  into  all  quarters  of  the  globe.  Poor 
Sutter,  strange  to  say,  it  ruined  him.  The 
gold  seekers  came  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth  and  "  squatted  "  on  his  lands,  and  he 
spent  all  the  fortune  he  had  amassed  in  try- 
ing to  dispossess  them.  But  his  efforts  were 
unavailing.  The  laws,  loosely  administered 
then,  seemed  to  be  against  him,  and  fate, 
relentless  fate,  spared  him  not.  Almost  all 
that  was  left  to  him  in  the  end  was  the  ring 
which  he  had  made  out  of  the  lumps  of  the 
first  gold  found,  and  on  which  was  inscribed 
this  legend :  "  The  first  gold  found  in  Cali- 
fornia, January,  1848."  It  tells  a  melan- 
choly as  well  as  a  joyous  tale,  in  it  are 
bound  up  histories  and  tragedies,  in  it  the 
happiness  of  multitudes,  and  even  the  fate 
of  immortal  souls!     The  California  legisla- 


66         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

ture  at  length  took  pity  on  Sutter,  and 
granted  him  a  pension  of  $250  per  month, 
on  which  he  lived  until  he  was  summoned, 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  on  June  17th,  1880, 
by  the  Angel  of  Death,  to  a  land  whose 
gold  mocks  us  not,  and  where  everyone's 
"  claim  "  is  good,  if  he  be  found  worthy  to 
pass  through  the  Golden  Gate.  Marshall, 
too,  died  a  poor  man,  August  8th,  1885, 
having  lived  on  a  pension  from  the  State  of 
California,  which  also  has  seen  fit  to  honour 
his  memory,  as  the  discoverer  of  gold,  by 
erecting  a  monument  to  him  at  Coloma, 
the  scene  of  the  most  exciting  events  in  his 
life.  The  names  of  these  two  men,  how- 
ever, will  endure  in  the  thrilling  histories  of 

1848  and  1849,  as  l°ng"  as  time  ^asts — f°r 
all  unconsciously  they  set  the  civilised  world 
in  motion,  gave  new  impulse  to  armies  of 
men,  spread  sails  on  the  ocean,  filled  coffers 
with  yellow  gold,  and  added  new  chapters 
to  the  graphic  history  of  San  Francisco  and 
many  another  city.  When  the  tidings  of 
the  discovery  of  gold  reached  the  outside 
world  thousands  on  thousands  set  their  faces 
towards  the  El  Dorado  of  the  Pacific  slopes. 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  67 

There  were  many  new  Jasons.  The  Golden 
Fleece  of  the  sunny  West  was  beckoning 
them  on.  New  Argos  were  fitted  out  for 
the  new  Colchis.  The  Argonauts  of  1849 
were  willing  to  brave  all  dangers.  It  is 
Joaquin  Miller  who  sings — 

"  Full  were  they 
Of  great  endeavour.    Brave  and  true 
As  stern  Crusader  clad  in  steel, 
They  died  afield  as  it  was  fit — 
Made  strong  with  hope,  they  dared  to  do 
Achievement  that  a  host  to-day 
Would  stagger  at,  stand  back  and  reel, 
Defeated  at  the  thought  of  it." 

There  were  three  ways  of  reaching  the 
gold  fields.  Men  could  travel  across  the 
plains  in  the  traditional  emigrant  wagon. 
It  was  a  weary,  lonely  journey,  life  was  en- 
dangered among  hostile  Indians,  and  happy 
were  those  who  at  last  were  strong  enough 
to  toil  in  the  mines.  Alas,  too  many  fell  by 
the  way  and  left  their  bones  to  bleach  in  arid 
regions.  It  is  the  experience  of  life.  We 
have  our  object  of  desire.  We  often  come 
short  of  it.  Ere  we  reach  the  goal  we  perish 
and  the  coveted  prize  is  forever  lost.     Not 


68         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

so  is  it  to  him  who  seeks  the  Gold  of  New 
Jerusalem.  The  Gold  of  that  land  is  good, 
and  all  who  will  can  find  it  and  enjoy  it. 

Another  way  was  by  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama,  and  then  up  the  coast  in  such  a 
ship  as  one  could  find.  It  was  the  least 
toilsome  journey  and  the  shortest,  but  still 
attended  with  hardships.  Many  fell  a  prey 
to  wasting  fevers  which  burn  out  one's  life, 
and  so  never  reached  the  destined  port  of 
San  Francisco,  through  which  they  would 
pass  to  the  gold  fields. 

The  longest  way  was  around  Cape  Horn. 
Still  there  were  those  who  took  it,  even  if 
months,  five  or  six,  it  might  be,  were  con- 
sumed in  the  journey.  The  gold  they 
sought  would  compensate  them  at  last. 
These  too  had  to  encounter  storms,  face 
probable  shipwreck  or  contend  with  grim 
death.  Many  who  sold  all  to  equip  them- 
selves, who  turned  away  from  home  and 
kindred,  for  a  time  they  thought,  to  enrich 
themselves,  who  would  surely  return  to 
their  loved  ones  with  untold  treasure,  never 
fulfilled  their  desire.  Some  perished  in  the 
voyage,  others  died  in  San  Francisco,  and 


DISCOVERY  OF  GOLD  69 

were  laid  to  rest  till  the  final  day  in  her 
cemeteries  by  the  heaving  ocean.  Such  as 
reached  the  mines  did  not  always  gain  the 
gold  they  coveted.  There  were  those  who 
were  fortunate,  who  made  a  success  of  life, 
who  realised  their  day  dreams;  and  some 
of  these  returned  to  the  old  home,  to  the 
waiting  parents,  to  the  longing  wife  and  chil- 
dren. Some  with  their  gold  settled  in  San 
Francisco  and  sent  for  their  kindred.  And 
what  happy  meetings  were  those  in  the  years 
of  gold  mining,  when  ships  coming  from 
many  lands,  from  American  and  foreign 
ports,  brought  to  the  city  through  the  Golden 
Gate  the  beloved  ones  whose  dear  faces  had 
ever  been  an  inspiration  to  the  toilers  in 
darkest  hours!  Methinks  the  meetings  of 
loved  ones  parted  here,  on  the  shores  of  the 
crystal  sea,  will  compensate  for  all  life's 
labours  and  trials.  Yes,  if  we  only  have  the 
true  treasures,  the  true  gold  of  the  Golden 
City. 

In  those  days  of  1848  and  1849  and  dur- 
ing 1850  and  1 85 1,  San  Francisco — on 
which  we  are  now  looking,  the  stately, 
comely  city  of  to-day,  was  a  city  of  tents 


70         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

in  a  large  measure.  Ships  were  pouring 
out  their  passengers  at  the  Long  Wharf. 
They  would  tent  for  a  time  on  the  shore, 
then  hurry  off  to  the  mines.  In  those  days 
you  could  meet  in  the  streets  men  of  various 
nationalities.  Here  were  gold  seekers  from 
New  England  and  old  England,  from  our 
own  Southland  and  the  sunny  land  of  France 
and  Italy,  from  Germany  and  Sweden  and 
Norway,  from  Canada  and  other  British 
possessions,  from  China  and  Japan.  And 
it  was  gold  which  brought  them  all  here, 
the  statesman  and  the  soldier,  the  labouring 
man  and  the  child  of  fortune,  sons  of  adver- 
sity and  sons  of  prosperity,  rich  and  poor, 
lawyers,  doctors,  merchants,  sailors,  schol- 
ars, unlettered, — all  are  here  for  gold. 
Such  is  the  San  Francisco  of  those  early 
days.  It  is  a  romance  of  reality,  of  the 
Golden  West! 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  STORY  OF  GOLDEN  GATE  PARK  AND  THE 
CEMETERIES 

St.  Andrew's  Brotherhood — Patras — The  Cross  at 
Megara  and  the  Golden  Gate — Portsmouth  Square 
and  its  Life — Other  City  Squares  and  Parks — 
Golden  Gate  Park,  its  Beauty,  Objects  and  Places 
of  Interest — Prayer  Book  Cross — Chance  Visitors 
— Logan  the  Guide — First  View  of  the  Pacific 
Ocean — "  Thy  Way  is  in  the  Sea " — The  Ceme- 
teries of  San  Francisco — World-wide  Sentiment — ■ 
Group  Around  Lone  Mountain — Story  of  the 
Graves  —  Earth's  Ministries  —  Lesson  of  the 
Heavens. 

When  my  companion  Ashton  and  I  landed 
at  the  Market  Street  Ferry  House,  an  im- 
posing structure  of  two  stories,  with  a  wide 
hall  on  the  second  floor  and  offices  and  bu- 
reaus of  information  on  either  side,  our  new- 
found friend,  Mr.  Young,  bade  us  a  "  Good- 
by "  with  a  hearty  handshake,  hoping  he 
might  meet  us  again.  Before  leaving  us, 
however,  he  introduced  us  to  a  young  man, 
7i 


72         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew, 
who  took  us  to  the  temporary  office  of  the 
Society  in  the  Ferry  House,  and  gave  us 
necessary  directions  about  the  street  cars, 
hotels  and  churches.  We  were  in  a  strange 
city  on  the  western  shore  of  the  Continent, 
yet,  we  felt  at  home  at  once  through  the  cor- 
dial greeting  of  the  Brotherhood.  The  St. 
Andrew's  Cross,  which  our  young  guide 
wore  on  his  coat,  was  indeed  a  friendly 
token.  It  spoke  volumes  to  the  heart;  and 
I  was  carried  back  in  memory  to  that  early 
morning,  when,  having  sailed  over  Ionian 
Seas,  our  good  ship  cast  anchor  in  the  Bay 
of  Patras,  and  my  feet  pressed  the  soil  which 
had  been  consecrated  by  the  blood  of  the 
Saint,  whose  cross  was  now  a  token  of  good 
will  and  welcome  at  the  ends  of  the  earth. 
I  could  not  but  recall  besides  a  memorable 
incident  in  connection  with  the  Saint  An- 
drew's Cross.  We  had  passed  the  Isthmus 
of  Corinth,  and  our  train  halted  for  a  space 
at  Megara,  a  town  of  six  or  seven  thousand 
people,  where  is  the  bluest  blood  in  all  Greece  ; 
and  as  I  alighted  from  my  coach  on  the 
Athens  and  Peloponnesus  Railway,   I  saw, 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES         73 

some  twenty  rods  away,  a  Greek  Papa  or 
Priest,  who  made  a  splendid  figure.  An  im- 
pulse came  over  me  to  speak  to  him,  and  I 
knew  there  was  one  sign  which  he  would 
recognise  and  understand.  It  was  the  Saint 
Andrew's  Cross,  which  I  made  by  crossing 
my  arms.  He  immediately  came  to  me  and 
we  conversed  briefly  as  the  time  would  per- 
mit, in  the  old  language  of  Homer  and  Plato, 
which  all  patriotic  Greeks  love.  He  asked 
me  if  I  was  a  Papa,  and  was  pleased  when  I 
said,  "  Yes."  I  introduced  him  to  my  com- 
panions in  the  coach,  and  he  greeted  them 
warmly;  and  as  the  train  began  to  move  on 
we  bade  each  other  farewell.  We  may  never 
meet  again,  but  the  Cross  of  Saint  Andrew 
was  a  bond  between  us,  and  we  felt  that  we 
were  brethren  in  one  Lord,  Saint  Andrew's 
Divine  Master  and  ours.  So  the  sight  of  that 
Cross  there  by  the  Pacific,  with  all  its  history 
of  faith  and  love  and  martyrdom,  caused  our 
hearts  to  beat  in  unison  with  our  brethren  by 
the  Golden  Gate.  I  thought  then  it  would  be 
a  special  advantage  to  strangers  in  strange 
cities,  if  in  some  way  the  Brotherhood  could 
serve  as  a  Bureau  of  Information  to  travel- 


74         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

lers,  who  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
Cross.  It  would  not  be  a  matter  of  large 
expense  after  all  if  Chapters  in  large  centres 
would  extend  greeting  to  men  and  women 
who  are  journeying  hither  and  thither  and 
who  often  stand  in  need  of  just  such  services 
as  the  Brotherhood  could  give.  In  a  few 
hours  after  our  arrival  we  were  ready  for  the 
opening  service  of  the  General  Convention, 
in  Trinity  Church,  on  Gough  street  at  the 
corner  of  Bush  street. 

At  intervals  when  duty  would  permit  we 
made  a  study  of  San  Francisco  and  its  life, 
rich  in  scene  and  incident,  and  most  instruc- 
tive as  well  as  attractive.  Seme  of  the  notice- 
able features  of  the  city  are  its  parks  and 
squares.  In  the  northern  part  or  section, 
Washington  and  Lobos  Squares  greet  you, 
while  Pioneer  Park  adorns  Telegraph  Hill, 
and  Portsmouth  Square  or  the  Plaza  is  just 
east  of  the  famous  Chinese  restaurant  and 
close  by  police  headquarters.  This  last  was 
famous  in  the  early  days  as  the  centre  of 
Yerba  Buena,  and  here  the  American  flag 
was  raised  for  the  first  time  when  our  ma- 
rines under  Commodore  Montgomery  took 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES        75 

possession  of  the  town.  Indeed  some  of  the 
most  exciting  scenes  in  the  early  history  of 
San  Francisco  were  witnessed  in  this  lo- 
cality. Volumes  might  be  written  about  its 
Spanish  and  Mexican  families,  its  adobe 
buildings,  its  gambling  places,  its  haunts  of 
vice,  its  public  assemblies,  its  crowds  of  men 
from  all  lands,  its  social  and  civic  histories. 
But  all  this  is  of  the  past,  and  it  seems  like 
a  dream  of  by-gone  days.  When  I  visited  it 
on  two  occasions,  in  company  with  friends,  it 
was  a  quiet  place  enough ;  and  the  casual  ob- 
server could  never  have  thought  or  realised 
that  around  this  romantic  spot  fortunes  made 
by  hard  toil  of  weary  months  and  years  had 
been  lost  in  a  few  short  hours  in  the  saloon 
and  gambling  places  for  which  the  vicinity 
was  noted,  that  the  worst  passions  of  the  hu- 
man heart  had  been  exhibited  here,  and  that 
betimes  amid  the  laughter  of  the  merry 
throng  in  midnight  revelry  and  above  the 
strains  of  the  "  harp  and  viol  "  one  could 
have  heard  the  voices  of  blasphemy  and  the 
sharp,  loud  reports  of  pistols  in  the  hands  of 
careless  characters,  whose  deadly  bullets  had 
sent  many  a  poor  unfortunate  wayfarer  or 


76         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

unwary  miner  from  the  gold  fields  to  his 
long  home. 

If,  in  your  saunterings,  you  go  through  the 
central  part  of  the  city  you  will  find  Lafayette 
Square,  Alta  Plaza,  Hamilton  Square,  Co- 
lumbia Square,  and  Franklin  and  Jackson 
Parks,  at  varying  distances  from  each  other 
and  affording  variety  to  the  tourist.  In  the 
south  section  you  will  see  Buena  Vista  Park 
and  Garfield  Square,  while  to  the  west  you 
have  Hill  Park  and  Golden  Gate  Park.  The 
Golden  Gate  Park  is  now  famous  the  world 
over  and  vies  in  beauty  and  splendour  with 
Central  Park  in  New  York,  nay,  in  some 
respects  surpasses  this,  in  that  it  has  a  mag- 
nificent frontage  on  the  Pacific  ocean,  a  long 
coast  view  and  a  wide  range  of  sea  with  the 
Farallone  Islands,  about  twenty  miles  off  in 
the  foreground  of  the  picture,  and  visible  on 
a  clear  day  always,  and  most  enchanting  in 
the  sunset  hour  as  we  gazed  on  them.  The 
Golden  Gate  Park  dates  back  only  to  the  year 
1870,  when  the  California  Legislature  passed 
an  act  providing  for  the  improvement  of 
public  parks  in  San  Francisco.  At  that  time 
this  lonely  spot,  now  so  like  a  dream  of  fairy 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES        77 

land,  was  but  a  waste,  a  wide  stretch  of  sand 
dunes  among  which  the  winds  of  the  ocean 
played  hide  and  seek.  Its  entrances,  with  a 
wide  avenue  in  the  foreground  running  north 
and  south,  are  some  five  miles  from  the 
Market  Street  Ferry.  The  afternoon  that 
my  friend  Ashton  and  I  visited  it  was  clear 
and  balmy.  Just  as  we  were  entering  the 
park  carriage  I  was  greeted  by  a  young 
friend  from  the  East,  whom  I  had  not  seen 
for  years;  and  then,  more  than  three  thou- 
sand miles  away  from  home,  I  realised  how 
small  our  planet  is  after  all.  As  we  rode 
along  the  flowery  avenues  with  green  lawns 
stretching  out  on  either  hand  and  losing 
themselves  in  groups  of  stately  trees  and 
hedges  of  shrubs  and  Monterey  Cypress  we 
were  filled  with  delight.  We  could  see  the 
birds,  native  and  foreign,  flying  from  branch 
to  branch  of  trees  which  grew  within  their 
gigantic  cages,  and  occasionally  we  heard  the 
notes  of  some  songster.  Yonder,  too,  we 
saw  deer  browsing,  and  elk  and  antelope. 
There  also  were  the  buffalo  and  the  grizzly 
bear;  and  apparently  all  forgot  that,  shut  in 
as  they  were  in  wide  enclosures,  they  were  in 


78         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

captivity.  We  could  not  fail  to  observe  the 
bright  flower-beds  on  every  hand,  the  pleas- 
ant groves,  the  shady  walks,  the  grottoes  of 
wild  design,  the  woodland  retreats,  the  syl- 
van bowers.  The  park,  we  were  told  by  our 
communicative  driver,  John  Carter,  com- 
prises ten  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  ground. 
He  also  pointed  out  various  places  and  ob- 
jects of  interest.  The  Museum,  by  the  way- 
side, in  its  Egyptian  architecture,  is  like  one 
of  the  old  temples  of  the  Pharaohs  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile. 

You  are  carried  into  the  realm  of  immortal 
song  when  you  gaze  on  the  busts  of  Goethe 
and  Schiller,  and  your  patriotism  is  stirred 
afresh  as  you  behold  the  monument  of  Fran- 
cis Scott  Key,  author  of  the  Star-Spangled 
Banner.  The  Muses  also  have  their  abode 
here  on  the  colonnaded  Music  Stand  or  Pa- 
vilion erected  by  Claus  Spreckles  at  a  cost  of 
$80,000.  Another  interesting  feature  is  the 
Japanese  Tea  Garden.  Then  there  is  the 
well  equipped  Observatory  on  Strawberry 
Hill  from  which  you  can  look  far  out  to 
sea,  and  where  star-gazers  can  study  celestial 
scenery  as  the  Heavens  declare  God's  glory. 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES         79 

Seven  lakelets  give  charm  to  the  landscape, 
but  the  eye  is  never  weary  in  looking  on 
Stone  Lake,  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in  circuit, 
beautiful  with  its  clear  waters,  its  shelving 
shores,  its  bays  and  miniature  headlands, 
while  on  its  calm  bosom,  ducks  of  rich 
plumage  and  Australian  swans  are  disporting 
themselves. 

That,  however,  which  attracted  our  at- 
tention most  of  all  was  the  great  grey  stone 
cross  on  the  crest  of  the  highest  point  of  the 
Golden  Gate  Park.  This,  chiseled  after  the 
fashion  of  the  old  crosses  of  Iona  and  linked 
with  the  name  of  St.  Columba,  is  the  monu- 
ment erected  by  the  late  George  W.  Childs, 
of  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  to  commemorate  the 
first  use  of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  when,  in  1579,  under  Ad- 
miral Drake,  Chaplain  Fletcher  read  Prayers 
in  this  vicinity,  either  in  San  Francisco  Bay, 
or  a  little  further  north  in  what  is  called 
Drake's  Bay.  But  more  of  this  anon.  As 
we  walked  from  the  carriage  road,  beneath 
some  spreading  trees,  to  get  a  nearer  view  of 
the  Prayer  Book  Cross,  numerous  partridges 
were   moving   about,   without   fear,    in   our 


80         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

pathway;  and  had  we  been  minded  to 
frighten  them  or  do  them  harm  we  would 
have  been  restrained  by  yonder  symbol  of 
our  redemption,  which  teaches  us  ever  to  be 
tender  and  humane  towards  bird  and  beast 
and  all  others  of  God's  helpless  creatures. 
The  Prayer  Book  Cross  is  seen  from  afar. 
It  looks  down  on  the  city  with  its  innumer- 
able homes,  on  the  cemeteries  within  its 
shadow,  on  the  Presidio  with  its  tents  and 
munitions  of  war,  on  the  Golden  Gate  and 
on  the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  and  it  brings  a 
blessing  to  all  with  its  message  of  love  and 
peace.  It  is  a  guide  too,  to  the  sailor  coming 
over  the  seas  from  distant  lands.  As  he 
strains  his  eyes  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
coast  the  Cross  stands  out  in  bold  relief 
against  the  eastern  sky,  and  it  tells  him  that 
he  will  find  a  hospitable  welcome  and  safe 
harbourage  within  the  Golden  Gate.  So  it  is 
dear  to  him  after  his  voyage  over  stormy 
seas  as  was  of  old 

"  Sunium's  marbled  steep  " 


to  the  Greek  sailor    nearing  home. 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES         81 

Near  Stone  Lake  we  met  the  head  com- 
missioner of  the  Park  who  saluted  us  with 
all  the  easy  grace  of  the  Californian ;  and  on 
the  way  we  had  the  opportunity  of  receiving 
a  Scotch  gentleman  and  his  wife  into  our 
carriage;  and,  later,  a  clergyman  who  had 
been  wandering  about  in  the  midst  of  sylvan 
scenes,  rode  with  us  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Park,  where  we  bade  our  new  found  friends 
good-bye,  each  to  go  his  own  way,  at  even- 
tide. 

The  third  day  after  our  arrival  in  San 
Francisco  I  had  a  longing  to  gaze  on  the 
Pacific  ocean  which  I  had  never  seen.  There 
were  no  laurels  for  us  to  win,  such  as  Balboa 
justly  deserved  when  he  discovered  the 
Pacific  and  first  beheld  its  wide  waters  in  the 
year  15 13;  but  it  was  a  natural  desire  to 
look  on  its  broad  expanse  and  to  stand  on  its 
shores,  along  which  bold  navigators  had 
sailed  since  the  days  of  Cabrillo  and  Drake. 
Taking  a  line  of  cars  running  out  to  the 
Presidio,  Ashton  and  I  walked  the  rest  of 
the  way.  A  young  man  named  Logan,  a 
cousin  of  the  famous  General  Logan,  who 
was  in  the  service  of  the  government  as  a 


82         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

mail  carrier,  but  off  duty  that  afternoon, 
volunteered  most  courteously  to  be  our  guide. 
He  accompanied  us  for  more  than  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  the  distance  beyond  the  Pre- 
sidio, but  then  had  to  return  to  meet  an  en- 
gagement. We  went  forward  climbing  the 
steep  hills  and  finally  found  that  we  were 
standing  on  the  heights  above  the  immense 
ocean,  in  the  grounds  of  the  Government 
Reservation.  It  was  a  solemn  moment  when 
we  for  the  first  time  beheld  the  Pacific,  and 
we  were  greatly  impressed.  There  the 
mighty  waters,  across  which  the  ships  sail 
to  China  and  Japan  and  the  Sandwich  Is- 
lands and  the  Philippine  Archipelago  and 
the  South  Seas,  lay  before  our  eyes.  The 
darkness  of  the  night  was  coming  on,  but  the 
sky  far  off  across  the  waters,  away  beyond 
the  Farallone  Islands,  was  tinged  with  red 
and  gold,  the  fading  glories  of  the  dying  day. 
We  could  see  in  the  glow  of  evening  the 
heaving  of  the  sea  and  the  motion  of  its  com- 
paratively calm  surface,  in  that  twilight  hour. 
Gathering  clouds  hung  over  the  horizon 
and  formed  tfte  shadows  in  the  picture. 
Every  picture  has  light  and  shade.     It  is  a 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES        83 

portrait  of  life.  We  stood  silently  for  a 
time  drinking  in  all  the  beauty  of  the  scene, 
well  nigh  entranced,  awed,  thrilled  betimes; 
and  at  last  in  order  to  give  fitting  expression 
to  the  thoughts  within  our  hearts,  I  suggested 
that  we  should  hold  a  brief  service  in  recog- 
nition of  His  power  who  holds  the  seas  in 
the  hollow  of  His  hands,  Who  had  guided 
our  feet  in  safe  paths  and  byways  of  the 
world,  often  over  its  troublesome  waves. 
Ashton  said  an  appropriate  Collect  from  the 
dear  old  Prayer  Book  of  so  many  tender  and 
far  off  memories,  while  I  expressed  my  feel- 
ings in  the  grand  words  of  the  Psalm — 
"  Thy  way  is  in  the  sea,  and  Thy  paths  in  the 
great  waters,  and  Thy  footsteps  are  not 
known."  We  felt  God's  presence  in  that 
hushed  hour,  we  saw  in  vision  the  divine 
Christ  walking  over  the  waters  to  us! 

In  our  wanderings  about  the  city  the  sleep- 
ing places  of  the  dead  naturally  attracted  our 
attention ;  and  where,  especially,  on  Sunday 
afternoons,  the  living  congregate  to  mourn 
over  their  loved  ones,  to  scatter  flowers  on 
their  graves,  or  to  while  away  an  hour  amid 
scenes  which  have  a  melancholy  interest  and 


84         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

tend  to  sobriety  and  remind  one  of  another 
land  where  there  is  no  death  for  those  who 
pass  through  the  Golden  Gate  of  eternity. 
Cemeteries  have  always  attracted  the  living 
to  their  solemn  precincts  at  stated  times,  anni- 
versaries and  fiestas.  It  is  so  in  all  lands, 
among  all  peoples  no  matter  what  their 
creed,  and  in  all  ages.  Jew  and  Gentile 
alike,  Mohammedan  and  Christian,  by  visit- 
ing tomb  or  grassy  mound  with  some  token 
of  their  affection,  the  prayer  uttered,  the 
tear  shed,  the  blossoms  laid  on  sacred  soil, 
after  this  manner  cherish  the  memories  of 
the  departed.  And  it  is  well !  Scenes  which 
the  traveller  may  witness  in  the  Campo 
Santo  of  Genoa  or  in  the  Koimeteria  of 
Athens,  on  Sundays,  in  the  Mezaristans  of 
Skutari  on  the  Bosphorus  and  Eyub  on  the 
Golden  Horn,  on  Friday  afternoons,  and  in 
the  Kibroth  of  old  Tiberias  by  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  or  outside  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem, 
on  Saturday  or  in  the  Cimenterios  of  Mexico 
City  on  fiestas,  all  testify  to  the  universality 
of  the  deep  and  tender  feelings  of  reverence 
and  affection  which  animate  the  human 
heart  and  make  all  men  as  one  in  thought  and 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES        85 

sentiment  as  they  stand  on  time's  shores  and 
follow  the  receding  forms  of  their  kindred 
and  friends  with  wishful  eyes  bedimmed 
with  tears  across  the  Dark  River! 

While  there  is  a  Burial  Place  for  the  sol- 
diers who  die  for  their  country  or  in  their 
country's  cause,  on  the  grounds  of  the  Pre- 
sidio, the  principal  cemeteries  of  San  Fran- 
cisco seem  to  cluster  around  Lone  Mountain 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  city  and  south 
of  the  Military  Reservation.  These  are 
Laurel  Hill,  Calvary,  Masonic  and  Odd  Fel- 
lows. The  Jews  have  their  special  burying 
ground  between  Eighteenth  and  Twentieth 
streets,  and  the  old  Mission  cemetery  where 
some  of  the  early  Indian  converts  and  Fran- 
ciscan Fathers  sleep  their  last  sleep,  is  close 
by  the  Mission  Dolores,  on  the  south  side. 

The  group  around  Lone  Mountain  is 
dominated  by  a  conspicuous  cross  on  the  hill 
top,  which,  as  a  sentinel  looks  down  with  a 
benison  on  the  resting  places  of  the  dead, 
and,  in  heat  and  cold,  in  storm  and  sunshine, 
seems  to  speak  to  the  heart  about  Him 
"  Who  died,  and  was  buried,  and  rose  again 
for  us."     To  this  picturesque  spot  too  the 


86         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Chinese  have  been  attracted,  and  they  bury 
their  departed  west  of  Laurel  Hill,  with  all 
the  rites  peculiar  to  the  followers  of  Confu- 
cius. 

But  what  thrilling  histories  of  men 
from  many  lands  are  entombed  in  all 
these  tens  of  thousands  of  graves,  what  fond 
hopes  are  buried  here,  what  withered  blos- 
soms of  life  mingle  with  this  consecrated  soil 
by  the  waters  of  the  Pacific!  Many  a  one 
who  sought  the  Golden  West  in  pursuit  of 
fortune  found  all  too  soon  his  goal  here  with 
unfulfilled  desire,  while  anxious  friends  and 
relatives  beyond  the  seas  and  the  mountains 
or  on  the  other  side  of  the  continent  awaited 
his  home  coming  for  years  in  vain.  Here, 
indeed,  are  no  rolls  of  papyrus,  no  hiero- 
glyphics, as  in  Egyptian  tombs,  to  tell  us  the 
story  of  the  past,  but  it  is  written  in  the  ex- 
periences of  the  gold  seekers,  it  is  interwoven 
with  the  life  of  the  city,  now  the  mistress  of 
the  great  ocean  which  laves  her  feet,  and  it 
is  burned  into  the  memories  of  many  living 
witnesses. 

If  yonder  grave  could  tell  its  tale  it  would 
speak  to  you  of  a  misspent  life  which  might 


PARK  AND  CEMETERIES        87 

have  been  a  blessing- — of  midnight  revels  and 
mad  excesses  and  Circe's  feasts,  the  ruin  of 
soul  and  body.  And  this  grave  could  talk  to 
you  about  one  who,  far  away  from  home  and 
kindred,  had  pined  and  wasted  away  in  his 
loneliness,  and  had  died  of  homesickness. 
But  while  you  are  touched  with  the  pathetic 
recital,  that  grave  near  by  reads  you  a  lesson 
of  patience,  of  heroism,  of  faith,  of  purity  of 
soul  and  body  preserved  in  the  midst  of  fiery 
temptations,  even  while  strong  men  were 
yielding  themselves  up  to  "  fleshly  lusts 
which  war  against  the  soul." 

The  shrubs  and  trees  and  flowers  on  which 
you  gaze,  and  which  are  green  and  blossom 
the  year  round,  now  beautify  all  and  mother 
earth  softens  with  her  ministries  the  sever- 
ities of  the  past,  and  sunlit  skies  bend  over 
the  dead,  as  of  old  in  many  lands,  and  star- 
bedecked  heavens  tell  still  to  the  living,  as 
once  to  those  whose  bodies  mouldered  here, 
the  story  of  the  life  beyond,  where  glory  and 
riches  and  honour  are  the  heritage  of  the 
faithful ! 


CHAPTER  V 

THEN  AND  NOW,  OR  EIGHTEEN  HUNDRED 
FORTY-NINE  AND  NINETEEN  HUNDRED 
AND  ONE 

Triangular  Section  of  San  Francisco— Clay  Banks, 
Mud  and  Rats  in  1849 — Streets  at  That  Time — 
Desperate  Characters — Gambling  Houses — Thirst 
for  Gold — Saloons  and  Sirens — The  Bella  Union — 
The  Leaven  of  the  Church — Robbers'  Dens  and 
Justice  in  Mining  Camps — The  Vigilance  Commit- 
tee and  What  It  Did — San  Francisco  Well  Gov- 
erned Now — Highway  Robbers  and  the  Courts — 
Chief  of  Police  Wittman  and  His  Men — A  Visit 
to  Police  Headquarters — The  Cells — A  Murderer 
— A  Chinese  Woman  in  Tears — A  Hardened 
Offender. 

The  traveller  to  the  City  of  the  Golden 
Gate,  as  he  approaches  it,  having  crossed  the 
great  bay  from  Oakland,  notices  that  the 
hundreds  of  streets  which  greet  his  gaze  run 
from  east  to  west,  and  cross  each  other  at 
right  angles,  except  a  triangular  section  of 
this  metropolis  of  the  west.  This  part  of 
the  city  may  be  compared  to  a  great  wedge 
with  the  broad  end  on  the  bay.  It  begins 
88 


THEN  AND  NOW  89 

at  the  Market  Street  Ferry  house  and  runs 
south  as  far  as  South  Street  at  the  lower 
end  of  China  Basin.  This  triangle  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Market  Street, 
which  follows  a  line  west  by  southwest,  and 
on  the  south  by  Channel  and  Ridley  Streets, 
the  latter  crossing  Market  Street  at  the 
sharp  end  of  the  wedge-shaped  section.  The 
portion  of  the  city  within  the  triangle  em- 
braces in  its  water-front  the  Mission,  How- 
ard, Folsom,  Stewart,  Spear,  Fremont,  and 
Merrimac  Piers,  together  with  Mail  and 
Hay  Docks.  Here  you  may  see  steamships 
and  sailing  vessels  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
moored  at  their  piers,  while  others  are  rid- 
ing at  anchor  a  little  way  out  from  the  land. 
The  whole  scene  is  at  once  picturesque  and 
animated  and  suggests  great  activity.  We 
must  remember,  however,  that  where  now 
are  these  massive  piers  with  their  richly  laden 
ships  and  noble  argosies,  as  far  back  only 
as  1849  there  were  no  stable  docks,  no 
properly  constructed  wharfs,  no  convenient 
landing  places.  Here  only  were  clay  banks, 
which  gave  no  promise  of  the  great  future 
with  its  commercial  grandeur,    and    every- 


90         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

thing  was  insecure  and  unsatisfactory,  espe- 
cially in  rainy  weather,  which  began  in  No- 
vember and  continued  with  more  or  less  in- 
terruption until  April.  The  new  comer,  not 
cautious  to  secure  a  sure  footing  would  some- 
times sink  deep  in  the  soft  mud  or  even  dis- 
appear in  the  spongy  earth.  With  the  ships  too 
came  not  only  the  gold-seekers  from  many 
lands,  but  rats  also  as  if  they  had  a  right 
and  title  to  the  rising  city.  These  swarmed 
along  the  primitive  wharfs,  and  at  times 
they  would  invade  the  houses  and  tents  of 
the  people  and  go  up  on  their  beds  or  find 
a  lodging-place  in  vessels  and  cup-boards. 
Some  of  these  rodents  which  followed  in 
the  wake  of  the  new  civilisation  were  from 
China  and  Japan,  while  others,  gray  and 
black,  came  in  ships  from  Europe  and  from 
American  cities  on  the  Atlantic  sea-board. 
Even  wells  had  to  be  closed  except  at  the 
time  of  the  drawing  of  water,  in  order  to 
keep  out  these  pests  which  made  the  life  of 
many  a  householder  well  nigh  intolerable. 

The  streets  were  few  in  number  then,  not 
more  than  fifteen  or  twenty,  as  the  town, 
at  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  had 


THEN  AND  NOW  91 

only  a  population  of  about  five  thousand  peo- 
ple. As  San  Francisco  grew,  however,  under 
the  impetus  which  the  discovery  of  gold  gave 
to  it,  the  streets  were  naturally  multiplied; 
and,  to  overcome  the  mire  in  wet  weather 
and  also  the  sand  of  the  dry  season,  which 
made  it  difficult  for  pedestrians  to  walk 
hither  and  thither  or  for  vehicles  to  move 
to  and  fro,  they  were  planked  in  due  time. 
Wooden  sewers  were  also  constructed  on 
each  side  of  the  street  to  carry  off  the  sur- 
face water.  A  plank  road  besides  ran  out  to 
Mission  Dolores,  the  vicinity  of  which  was 
a  great  resort  on  Sundays,  especially  in  the 
days  when  "  bull  fighting  "  was  a  pastime 
and  the  old  Spanish  and  Mexican  elements 
of  the  population  had  not  been  eliminated 
or  had  not  lost  their  prestige. 

As  one  went  to  and  fro  then  and  encoun- 
tered men  of  all  nationalities,  it  was  not  an 
uncommon  thing  to  meet  many  who  had  the 
look  of  desperadoes,  whose  upper  garment 
was  a  flannel  shirt,  while  revolvers  looked 
threateningly  out  of  their  belts  at  the  passer- 
by. All  this  of  course,  was  changed  after 
a  time,  when  the  days  of  reform  came,  as 


92         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

they  always  come  when  the  need  arises. 
There  is  an  element  in  human  society  which 
acts  as  a  corrective,  and  wrong  is  finally  de- 
throned, and  right  displays  her  power  with 
a  divine  force  and  a  vivid  sweep  as  a  shaft 
of  lightning  from  the  sky.  We  need  never 
despair  about  the  triumph  of  the  good.  It 
is  a  noble  sentiment  which  Bryant  utters  in 
"  The  Battle  Field  :  " 

"  Truth  crushed  to  earth  shall  rise  again : 
The  eternal  years  of  God  are  hers; 
But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  in  pain, 
And  dies  among  his  worshippers." 

And  never  was  there  a  community  or  a 
city  where  Truth  asserted  her  sway  more 
potently  in  the  midst  of  evil  than  in  San 
Francisco  in  the  trying  days  of  her  youth. 
With  the  rush  from  all  lands  to  California 
for  the  coveted  gold  came  the  lawless  and 
the  blood-thirsty.  Men  in  the  gambling 
houses  would  sometimes  quarrel  over  the 
results  of  the  game  or  over  some  "  love 
affair."  Fair  Helen  and  unprincipled,  gay, 
thoughtless  Paris  were  here  by  the  Golden 
Gate.     The  old  story  is  constantly  repeating 


THEN  AND  NOW  93 

itself  since  the  Homeric  days.  Duels  were 
fought  betimes  as  a  consequence,  and  the 
issue  for  one  or  both  of  the  combatants  was 
generally  fatal.  Gambling  in  those  days 
was,  from  a  worldly  stand-point,  the  most 
profitable  business,  that  is  for  the  pro- 
fessional player  or  the  saloon-keeper.  In- 
deed it  was  looked  upon  as  quite  respectable. 
It  has  a  strange  fascination  at  all  times  for 
a  certain  class,  with  whom  it  becomes  a  pas- 
sion as  much  as  love  for  the  wine-cup,  and 
one  must  be  well  grounded  in  principle  to 
resist  its  influences.  Many  once  noble  souls 
who  had  been  tenderly  brought  up  were  led 
astray.  Away  from  home  and  its  restrain- 
ing associations,  gambling,  drinking,  and 
other  sins  and  vices  became  their  ruin.  In 
calm  moments  when  alone  or  under  some 
momentary  impulse  of  goodness  there  would 
rise  before  them  the  vision  of  God-fearing 
parents — of  open  Bibles — of  hallowed  Sun- 
days; but  the  thirst  for  gold  could  not  be 
quenched,  the  mad  race  must  be  run,  and  to 
the  bitter  end,  dishonour,  death,  the  grave! 
Shelley,  .if  he  had  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
gamblers,  staking  all,  even  their  souls,  for 


94         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

gold,  in  those  California  days  of  wild  revelry, 
could  not  have  expressed  himself  more  ap- 
positely than  in  his  graphic  and  truthful 
lines,  in  Queen  Mab : 

"Commerce  has  set  the  mark  of  selfishness; 
The  signet  of  its  all-enslaving  power 
Upon  a  shining  ore,  and  called  it  gold : 
Before  whose  image  bow  the  vulgar  great, 
The  vainly  rich,  the  miserable  proud, 
The  mob  of  peasants,  nobles,  priests,  and  kings, 
And  with  blind  feelings  reverence  the  power 
That  grinds  them  to  the  dust  of  misery. 
But  in  the  temple  of  their  hireling  hearts 
Gold  is  a  living  god,  and  rules  in  scorn 
All  earthly  things  but  virtue." 

The  saloons  fifty  years  ago  were  the  cen- 
tres of  attraction  for  the  over-wrought 
miner,  the  aimless  wanderer,  the  creature  of 
impulse,  the  child  of  passion.  They  were 
decorated  with  an  eye  to  brilliant  colours,  to 
gorgeous  effect,  to  all  that  appeals  to  the 
sensuous  element  in  our  nature.  They  were 
the  best  built  and  most  richly  furnished 
houses  in  the  San  Francisco  of  that  period. 
The  walls  were  adorned  with  costly  paint- 
ings, and  the  furniture  was  in  keeping  with 
this  lavish  outlay.  In  each  gambling  house 
was  a  band  of  music,  and  a  skillful  player 


THEN  AND  NOW  95 

received  some  $30  per  night  for  his  services. 
Painted  women  were  the  presiding  geniuses 
at  the  wheels  of  fortune  and  these  modern 
Circes  or  Sirens  played  the  piano  and  the 
harp  with  all  the  passion  of  their  art  to 
drown  men's  cares  and  make  them  forget 
duty  and  principle  and  honour.  The  tables 
of  the  players  of  the  games  were  piled  high 
with  yellow  gold  to  serve  as  a  tempting  bait. 
The  games  were  chiefly  what  are  called  in 
the  nomenclature  of  the  gambling  fraternity. 
Rouge-et-noir,  Monte-faro,  and  Roulette. 
The  men  who  lost,  whatever  their  feelings 
might  be,  and  they  were  often  bitter,  as  a 
rule  disguised  their  sore  disappointment. 
They  would  try  their  luck  again,  but  this 
only  led  them  deeper  in  the  mire.  Many  an 
one  lost  a  princely  fortune  in  a  night.  The 
gambling  houses  were  located  chiefly  around 
the  Plaza  or  Portsmouth  Square,  of  which 
we  have  already  spoken.  They  were  filled, 
as  a  general  thing,  all  night,  with  an  eager 
throng,  especially  on  Sunday.  Indeed  every- 
thing then  had  its  full  course  on  Sunday. 
There  were  various  sports;  drinking  and 
gambling  ran    riot.      Blasphemous    words 


96         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

filled  the  air.  Men  swore  without  the  least 
thought.  But  profanity  is  not  alone  re- 
stricted to  a  frontier  or  border  community, 
where  laws  and  a  sense  of  propriety  are 
wanting.  One  may  hear  it  in  old  and  civil- 
ised towns,  as  he  walks  the  streets,  and  some- 
times from  the  lips  of  boys.  In  these  saloons 
people  of  all  ages  congregated  from  youth 
up  to  hoary  hairs.  Here  were  the  Indian 
and  the  Negro,  the  American  and  the  Mexi- 
can, the  Spaniard  and  the  Frenchman,  the 
Italian,  the  Dutchman  and  the  German,  the 
Dane  and  the  Russian,  the  English,  the  Irish 
and  the  Scotchman,  the  Chinaman  and  the 
Japanese.  One  of  the  most  noted  of  the 
saloons  was  the  Bella  Union,  a  Monte  Carlo 
in  itself.  Woe  betide  the  miner  from  the 
mountains  with  gold  who  entered  it.  Here 
was  a  richly  appointed  bar  to  tempt  the  de 
sire  for  drink,  while  costly  mirrors  were 
arranged  in  such  wise  as  to  reflect  the  scenes 
of  revelry,  and  pictures  that  were  worth  large 
sums  of  money  hung  on  the  walls.  The  sil- 
verware too  would  have  done  credit  to  a 
royal  board.  Both  the  tables  and  the  bar 
were  well  patronised  at  all  times. 


THEN  AND  NOW  97 

Naturally  with  such  elements  of  society, 
with  the  mad  thirst  for  gold,  with  the  loose 
morality  which  prevailed  to  a  large  extent, 
there  would  be  great  lawlessness.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind  however  that  the  Christian 
Church  was  at  work  in  those  perilous  times, 
which  live  only  in  memory  now,  and  was 
gradually  leavening  the  whole  lump.  There 
were  devout  men  and  true  women  in  early 
San  Francisco,  who,  in  the  midst  of  "  a 
crooked  generation,"  kept  themselves  pure 
and  "  unspotted  from  the  world."  And  is  it 
not  true  that  men  can  hold  fast  their  crown, 
that  no  man  take  it  from  them,  if  only  they 
will  make  use  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  God  has 
His  faithful  witnesses  in  every  place,  in 
every  age,  no  matter  how  corrupt.  There 
are  the  "  seven  thousand  "  who  do  not  bow 
the  kneel  to  Baal,  there  are  the  faithful  "  few 
names  "  even  in  Sardis  who  do  not  defile 
their  garments  with  the  world.  San  Fran- 
cisco had  them  in  those  days  of  special  temp- 
tation, brave  and  noble  souls  who  could  say 
with  Sir  Galahad: 

"  My  strength  is  as  the  strength  of  ten, 
Because  my  heart  is  pure." 


98         BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

In  this  strength  they  rose  up  and  purged 
the  place,  even  though  as  difficult  as  a  labour 
of  Hercules.  The  men  of  the  Vigilance 
Committee  will  ever  live  in  song  and  story. 
Even  up  in  the  mountains  in  the  gold  mines 
of  El  Dorado  county  and  elsewhere  the 
spirit  of  the  men  of  San  Francisco  was  at 
work  in  the  camps.  Robbers  were  there, 
bold  characters,  dark-browed  men,  who 
would  not  hesitate  to  steal,  and  kill,  if  need 
be,  in  their  nefarious  work.  The  miners  had 
their  perils  to  encounter  in  these  bandits. 
The  robbers  had  their  dens  in  the  mountains 
in  lonely  places,  beside  a  trail  sometimes, 
and  in  the  depths  of  the  forests.  The  dens 
had  generally  two  rooms  on  the  ground  floor 
and  a  loft  which  was  reached  by  a  ladder. 
If  a  belated  miner  sought  shelter  or  food 
here  he  was  given  a  lodging  in  the  loft.  If 
he  drank  with  his  "  host ''  it  would  most  likely 
be  some  liquor  that  was  drugged,  and  in  his 
heavy  sleep  he  was  sure  to  be  robbed.  In 
the  morning  he  had  no  redress,  and  he  might 
consider  himself  fortunate  if  he  escaped  with 
his  life.  Sometimes  however  the  robber  was 
brought  to  quick  justice  by  the  miners.    Rob- 


THEN  AND  NOW  99 

bery  was  not  countenanced  in  the  camps.  If 
one  should  steal,  his  fellows  would  rise  up, 
try  him  in  a  hastily  convened  court,  and  con- 
demn him  to  death,  and  hang  him  on  the 
nearest  tree.  It  was  a  rule  that  the  body 
should  be  exposed  for  twenty-four  hours  as 
a  warning  to  others.  All  this  may  seem 
harsh,  but  under  the  circumstances  it  was 
the  only  way  in  which  justice  could  be  dealt 
out  to  offenders.  The  camps  were  in  con- 
sequence orderly  and  safe.  We  must  not 
think,  because  the  Vigilance  Committees  of 
the  mining  camps  and  of  the  city  took  the 
administration  of  law  into  their  own  hands 
that  therefore  they  were  lawless  and  that 
their  rule  was  that  of  the  mob.  No,  this  was 
the  only  way  in  which  peaceable  citizens 
could  be  protected  from  the  violence  and 
crimes  perpetrated  by  the  turbulent  and  dis- 
orderly and  vicious  elements  of  society.  In 
the  years  185 1  and  1852  there  was  great 
lawlessness  in  San  Francisco.  Bad  men, 
who  had  served  terms  in  prisons  for  their 
misdeeds,  and  men  who  wished  to  disor- 
ganise society,  who  had  the  spirit  of  an- 
archy in  their  breasts,  organised  themselves 


ioo       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

into  bands  for  the  purpose  of  stealing  and 
killing,  and  good  citizens  stood  in  mortal 
fear  of  them.  Buildings  were  burned  at 
pleasure,  houses  were  broken  open  and  rob- 
beries committed,  and  even  murder  was  re- 
sorted to  when  the  wrongdoers  found  it  nec- 
essary in  the  accomplishment  of  their  hellish 
purposes.  The  officials  of  the  city  were 
careless  in  punishing  offenders,  indeed  they 
were  powerless  to  do  so,  and  the  lawbreakers 
knew  this.  It  is  said  that  over  a  hundred 
persons  were  murdered  during  the  period  of 
six  months;  and  the  blood  of  these  victims 
cried  to  Heaven  for  vengeance.  To  assert  the 
majesty  of  law  and  to  punish  criminals  a 
large  number  of  the  best  citizens,  who  grieved 
over  the  evils  which  prevailed,  organised 
themselves  into  the  famous  Vigilance  Com- 
mittee. The  seal  which  they  adopted  showed 
their  worthy  purpose.  In  the  centre  was 
the  figure  of  a  human  eye  to  denote  watch- 
fulness. Above  the  eye  was  the  word,  Com- 
mittee,— beneath,  Vigilance;  then  the  name, 
San  Francisco.  Around  the  edge  of  the  seal 
ran  the  legends :  "  Fiat  Justitia  Ruat  Ccelum. 
No  creed;   no  party;   no   sectional   issues." 


THEN  AND  NOW  101 

While  not  constituted  exactly  like  the  Court 
of  Areopagus,  yet  the  Vigilance  Committee 
of  San  Francisco  did  for  a  time  exercise  au- 
thority over  life  and  death  like  the  Athenian 
judges  on  Mars'  Hill.  The  shaft  of  light- 
ning first  fell  on  an  ex-convict  who  was 
caught  stealing.  Eighty  members  of  the 
Committee  tried  and  convicted  him,  and  on 
the  same  night  he  was  hanged  in  Portsmouth 
Square  in  view  of  the  saloons.  A  thrill  ran 
through  the  whole  community,  and  when, 
the  next  morning,  the  people  read  the  names 
of  the  prominent  citizens  who  served  on  the 
Committee,  their  action  made  a  deep  and 
salutary  impression.  The  Vigilance  Com- 
mittee prosecuted  its  work  till  the  city  was 
purged  of  its  evils,  and  it  exercised  from 
time  to  time  its  authority  until  the  year  1856. 
As  a  result  of  its  firmness,  its  promptness 
in  punishing  criminals,  and  its  high-minded 
aims,  the  land  had  rest  for  twenty  years.  A 
weak  administration  of  justice  is  an  encour- 
agement to  wrong  doing.  Municipal  and 
state  officials  can  best  serve  their  city  and 
country  by  dealing  quick  and  severe  blows 
at  lawlessness;  but  to  be  effective  they  must 


102       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

be  men  of  integrity,  above  reproach,  and 
withal  just.  To-day  San  Francisco  is  one 
of  the  most  orderly  and  best  governed  cities 
in  the  United  States.  During  my  rambles 
through  its  streets  I  went  to  and  fro  at  all 
hours  without  being  molested.  I  never  met 
a  drunken  man  or  a  disorderly  person.  The 
city  feels  the  effect  of  the  Committee's  good 
work  even  to  this  latest  hour.  It  serves  as 
an  example.  Justice  is  dealt  out  speedily 
to  offenders.  There  are  few  if  any  technical 
delays  of  the  law  and  the  criminal  rarely 
escapes  without  punishment.  Some  ex- 
amples have  occurred  recently  which  show 
that  the  judges  of  the  superior  courts  are 
alive  to  their  duty  and  that  they  can  per- 
form it  when  the  occasion  arises.  A  man 
named  John  H.  Wood,  a  former  soldier, 
was  convicted  of  highway  robbery,  and  he 
was  speedily  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for 
life  in  Folsom  Penitentiary.  Judge  Cook 
who  passed  sentence  on  him  took  the  posi- 
tion that  a  man  who  used  a  deadly  weapon 
in  the  commission  of  his  crime  should  re- 
ceive the  full  penalty  of  the  law.  A  man 
who  holds  a  pistol  to  shoot  will  take  life, 


THEN  AND  NOW  103 

therefore  he  ought  to  have  a  life  sentence. 
Wood,  who  belongs  to  a  wealthy  family  in 
Texas,  has  a  checkered  history.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  for  a  time  in  the  Philippine 
Islands.  Here  he  deserted  his  post  and 
committed  highway  robbery.  He  was  tried 
by  court  martial  for  larceny  and  convicted. 
Then  he  was  brought  to  San  Francisco  and 
put  in  the  military  prison  on  the  Island  of 
Alcatraz.  He  was  finally  discharged  from 
the  army  in  disgrace.  A  few  months  ago 
he  tried  to  rob  a  showcase  man  and  held 
a  revolver  at  his  head  while  he  seized  a 
watch  and  chain.  He  was  immediately  ar- 
rested by  three  officers,  and  a  month  after  he 
was  sentenced  for  life.  As  showing  the  de- 
pravity of  the  man  he  said  after  receiving 
sentence :  "  That  is  an  awful  dose,  and  I 
haven't  had  my  breakfast  yet."  Possibly 
in  prison  he  will  reflect  upon  his  evil  life, 
and  be  softened,  and  repent.  He  might  have 
been  a  good  citizen,  worthy  of  his  country; 
but  he  hardened  his  heart  and  sank  deeper 
and  deeper  in  his  degradation.  Oh,  the  har- 
dening of  the  heart!  It  was  Pharaoh's  sin. 
It  is  the  sin  of  many  an  one  now. 


104       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Another  highway  robber,  Edward  Davis, 
was  sentenced  at  the  same  time  with  Wood 
to  serve  in  the  State  Penitentiary  for  thirty- 
three  years.  He  also  pointed  a  pistol  to  the 
head  of  his  victim.  But  thirty-three  years ! 
He  will  probably  die  in  prison.  It  is  a  life 
thrown  away,  one  of  God's  best  gifts.  But 
if  stern  justice  be  meted  out  here  in  this 
world,  what  must  the  unrepenting  sinner, 
who  has  trampled  the  divine  law  under  foot, 
expect  in  the  world  to  come?  San  Francisco 
teaches  a  lesson  which  reaches  farther  than 
an  earthly  tribunal.  The  judge  on  his  bench 
is  an  image  of  the  Judge  who  weighs  human 
life  in  His  balances. 

There  is  of  course  crime  in  San  Francisco 
as  in  all  other  cities.  Indeed  crime  is  uni- 
versal, whether  in  the  Orient  or  the  Occi- 
dent. The  Chief  of  Police  Wittman  ac- 
counts for  highway  robbery,  to  the  extent  in 
which  it  prevails,  from  the  fact  that  San 
Francisco  is  a  garrison  city.  Here  are  numer- 
ous recruits  and  discharged  soldiers,  and,  as 
a  seaport,  it  draws  to  itself  the  scum  and  off- 
scourings of  all  nations,  Hindoos,  Chinese, 
Malays,  and  all  other  kinds  of  people. 


THEN  AND  NOW  105 

The  police  force  is  hardly  adequate  to  pa- 
trol the  entire  city.  It  consists  only  of  589 
men  all  told,  and  they  are  fine,  manly  looking 
guardians  of  the  law,  always  ready  to  do 
their  duty,  always  courteous  to  strangers, 
answering  all  questions  intelligently.  It  is 
claimed,  moreover,  that  the  criminal  ele- 
ment of  the  country  drifts  to  San  Francisco 
in  the  winter  on  account  of  the  climate  and 
also  through  the  attractions  of  the  race- 
track. The  police  also  find  that  the  places 
where  poker-games  are  played  are  a  rendez- 
vous for  criminals.  In  1887  and  1888  there 
was  an  outbreak  of  highway  robbery,  but 
the  grand  jury  acted  promptly  in  the  matter 
and  the  courts  soon  suppressed  it.  Property 
and  life  therefore  are  jealously  guarded  in 
the  City  of  the  Golden  Gate,  and  bad  char- 
acters who  go  thither  to  prey  on  the  public 
soon  get  their  deserts.  In  this  respect  then 
San  Francisco  is  a  desirable  place  in  which 
to  live. 

One  evening  in  company  with  a  party  of 
friends,  Rev.  Dr.  Ashton  of  Olean,  N.  Y., 
Rev.  Dr.  Reynold  Marvin  Kirby  of  Pots- 
dam, N.  Y.,  Rev.  Clarence  Ernest  Ball  of  Al- 


106       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

exandria,  Va.,  Rev.  Henry  Sidney  Foster  of 
Green  Bay,  Wis.,  the  Rev.  William  Bar- 
naby  Thorne  of  Marinette,  Wis.,  and  Doctor 
Robert  J.  Gibson,  surgeon  in  the  United 
States  Army,  stationed  at  San  Francisco, 
I  visited  the  police  headquarters,  situated  on 
the  east  side  of  Portsmouth  Square.  This 
is  a  large  building  of  several  stories  with 
numerous  offices.  The  chief  in  his  office 
on  the  main  floor,  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
entrance,  received  us  courteously  and  as- 
signed to  us  a  detective  according  to  an  ar- 
rangement previously  made  with  Ashton.  In 
the  office  were  portraits  of  police  commis- 
sioners and  the  chiefs  and  others  who  had 
been  connected  with  the  department  for  many 
vears.  Entering  an  elevator  we  were  soon 
on  the  topmost  floor  where  were  the  cells 
in  which  prisoners  just  arrested  and  waiting 
for  trial  were  confined.  The  doors  of  the 
cells,  all  of  iron,  were  opened  or  closed  by 
moving  a  lever.  It  was  now  about  9 :3c) 
p.  m.,  and  officers  were  bringing  in  such 
persons  as  had  been  arrested  for  theft,  for 
assault  and  battery,  for  drunkenness  and 
other  kinds  of  evil  doing.     Towards  day- 


THEN  AND  NOW  107 

break  the  cells  are  pretty  well  filled,  but  now 
they  were  nearly  empty.  How  true  His  words 
who  knows  what  is  in  man.  "  Men  love 
darkness  rather  than  light  because  their 
deeds  are  evil !  " 

One  young  man  who  had  killed  another 
in  a  quarrel  was  pointed  out  to  us.  The 
woman  who  loved  him  and  who  expected  to 
be  his  wife,  and  still  had  faith  in  him,  was 
at  his  side,  with  her  sister,  conversing  with 
him  between  her  sobs,  in  a  low  earnest  tone. 
He  seemed  greatly  agitated.  A  detective 
stood  a  little  way  off  from  the  trio.  The  evi- 
dence was  strong  against  the  murderer,  and 
an  officer  said  to  us  that  there  was  no  chance 
for  him  to  escape  from  the  penalty  of  the 
law.  In  a  cell  was  a  young  Chinese  woman, 
just  brought  in,  possibly  for  disorderly  con- 
duct. She  could  not  have  been  more  than 
fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old.  She  was  pretty 
and  refined  in  appearance  and  handsomely 
dressed,  and  she  wept  as  if  her  heart  would 
break.  Not  yet  hardened  by  sin,  and  prob- 
ably imprisoned  for  the  first  time,  she  felt 
the  shame  and  degradation  of  her  lot.  I 
could  not  but  feel  pity  for  her,  and  expressed 


108       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

sorrow  for  her,  though  she  may  not  have 
understood  my  words.  At  least  she  could 
interpret  the  signs  of  sympathy  in  voice  and 
expression.  These  are  a  universal  lan- 
guage. Maybe  she  was  more  sinned  against 
than  sinning, — and  that  Divine  One  Who 
reads  all  hearts  and  knows  the  temptations 
and  snares  which  beset  unwary  feet,  would 
say  to  her — "  Go,  and  sin  no  more ! ,f 

In  another  cell  was  an  old  offender  who 
had  a  face  furrowed  with  sin.  As  we  looked 
at  her  I  could  see  that  she  regarded  our  pres- 
ence as  an  intrusion.  I  recalled  Dr.  Watt's 
lines : 

"  Sinners  who  grow  old  in  sin 
Are  hardened  in  their  crimes." 

Yet  there  is  an  awakening  of  the  con- 
science at  last,  and  even  a  prison  house  with 
its  corrections  may  be  a  door  of  escape  from 
that  other  prison  of  the  sinful  soul  from 
which  no  one  can  go  forth,  be  he  culprit  or 
juror,  counsellor  or  judge,  until  his  pardon 
is  pronounced  by  Him  who  can  forgive  sins. 


CHAPTER  VI 

FROM  STREET  NOMENCLATURE  TO  A  CANNON 

The  Streets  of  the  City — Numbers  and  Names — 
Example  of  Athens — Names  of  Men — Names  of 
States  and  Countries — American  Spirit — Flowers 
and  Trees — Market  Street — Pleasantries — Man- 
sions of  California  Avenue — Grand  Reception — 
Art  in  California — Cost  of  Living  in  1849 — Hotels 
and  Private  Houses  now — Restaurants — New  City- 
Hall — Monumental  Group — Scenes  and  Represen- 
tations— History  of  a  Cannon — Chance  Meeting 
with  General  Shatter — Mission  of  the  Republic. 

The  streets  of  the  city!  They  are  an  im- 
portant feature,  and  the  traveller  naturally 
observes  their  direction  and  studies  their 
character.  In  the  description  of  New  Jerusa- 
lem, St.  John  noted  the  fact  that  its  street 
was  "  pure  gold."  The  streets  of  earthly 
cities  cannot  vie  with  the  celestial,  though 
the  gold  of  commerce  may  be  found  in  their 
warehouses  and  mansions;  but  if  men  were 
as  earnest  in  seeking  after  the  treasures  of 
109 


no       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Heaven  as  were  the  tens  of  thousands  who 
flocked  to  the  gold-fields  of  California  in 
1849,  they  would  surely  win  the  fortune 
which  awaits  them  within  the  Golden  Gate 
of  the  City  on  the  banks  of  the  Crystal 
River.  San  Francisco  has  her  noted  streets, 
just  as  the  City  of  Mexico  has  her  San  Fran- 
cisco promenade,  leading  from  the  Alameda 
to  the  Plaza  de  Zocalo ;  or  Rome  her  famous 
Corso,  the  old  Via  Flaminia,  with  its  shops 
and  its  teeming  life;  or  Athens  her  Hodos 
Hermou,  with  its  old  Byzantine  church  of 
Kapnikar?ea;  or  Constantinople  her  Grande 
Rue  de  Pera,  with  its  hotels  and  theatres  and 
bazaars;  or  old  Damascus,  her  "  street  that 
is  called  straight,"  S'uk  et-Tawileh,  the  street 
of  the  Long  Bazaar,  with  its  Oriental  life 
and  colouring;  or  Cairo  her  picturesque 
Muski,  where  you  may  find  illustrations  of 
scenes  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  and  gratify 
your  senses  with 

"  Sabean  odours  from  the  spicy  shore 
Of  Araby  the  Blest." 

The  streets  of  the  city  by  the  Golden  Gate 
have    an    interesting    nomenclature,    which 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  in 

well  deserves  one's  study  for  what  it  teaches. 
Some  streets  in  the  triangular  section  of 
San  Francisco,  already  spoken  of,  are  num- 
bered. These  begin  west  of  Fremont  street 
and  run  up  to  Thirteenth,  being  bounded  by 
Market  street.  Then  the  numbered  streets 
take  a  turn  to  the  left  hand  and  go  from 
Fourteenth  to  Twenty-Sixth,  in  the  south- 
western section  of  the  city,  and  run  due 
west.  Numbers  on  the  streets  of  any  city 
are  of  course  a  convenience,  but  such  a 
nomenclature  has  nothing  else  to  commend 
it,  and  lacks  imagination  and  sacrifices  bits 
of  histor}?'  which  may  be  interwoven  with 
municipal  life  and  show  progress  from  small 
beginnings  and  perpetuate  pioneers'  names 
and  benefactors'  memories.  Modern  Athens 
in  naming  her  streets  has  very  wisely  called 
them  after  some  of  the  demigods,  heroes, 
generals,  statesmen,  and  poets  of  Greece; 
and  grateful  too  for  the  work  of  Lord  By- 
ron in  behalf  of  her  independence,  she  has 
honoured  him  who  in  immortal  song  spurred 
on  her  sons  to  arise  and  cast  off  the  Turkish 
yoke,  with  a  name  on  one  of  her  thorough- 
fares— Hodos     Tou     Buronos — which     the 


ii2       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

traveller  reads  with  emotion,  even  as  he 
gazes  also  with  admiration  on  the  beautiful 
Pentelic  monument  reared  to  the  memory  of 
her  benefactor,  near  the  Arch  of  Hadrian, 
while  Athenae  is  represented  as  crowning 
him  with  the  victorious  olive.  With  feel- 
ings and  sentiments  akin  to  this  the  sons  of 
the  Golden  West  have  associated  forever 
with  the  streets  of  their  great  city  the  names 
of  men  who  either  benefited  California  or 
take  high  rank  in  national  life  or  are  other- 
wise worthy  of  perpetual  commemoration. 
Hence  we  have  a  Berkeley  street,  a  Bu- 
chanan, a  Castro,  a  Fillmore,  a  Franklin,  a 
Fremont,  a  Grant,  a  Hancock,  a  Harrison, 
a  Hawthorne,  and  a  Humboldt  street.  Juni- 
per street  is  a  memorial  of  Father  Junipero 
Serra,  founder  of  Franciscan  Missions. 
Kepler  takes  us  up  to  the  stars,  which  shine 
beautifully  over  the  lofty  Sierras,  Califor- 
nia's eternal  rampart;  while  Lafayette 
speaks  to  us  of  friendship  and  chivalry,  still 
alive  in  these  matter  of  fact  days.  As  you 
walk  through  the  streets  you  see  also  the 
name  of  Kearney,  not  Dennis  of  "  sand-lot  " 
fame,  but  that  of  General  S.  W.  Kearney, 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  113 

whose  sword  aided  in  placing  the  star  of 
California  in  our  Nation's  Flag;  you  read 
too  the  name  of  the  old  Indian  chief,  Marin, 
and  that  of  Montezuma  takes  you  across 
the  Rio  Grande  and  back  to  the  days  of 
Mexican  romance  and  barbaric  splendour. 
Here  also  Montgomery  is  remembered,  the 
patriotic  commander  of  the  Portsmouth, 
who  gave  orders  to  his  marines  to  raise  the 
Stars  and  Stripes,  in  place  of  Spanish  en- 
signs and  the  Bear  Flag,  on  the  Plaza  of 
Yerba  Buena,  old  San  Francisco,  in  1846. 
We  find  also  such  well  known  names  as 
Scott,  Sherman  and  Stanford.  We  have  too 
a  St.  Francis  street  and  a  St.  Joaquin  street; 
Sumner,  Sutter,  Tilden  and  Webster  are  re- 
membered also.  Nearly  all  the  states  of  the 
Union  speak  to  us  by  these  waters  of  the 
Pacific  in  the  stones  of  the  streets.  All  the 
original  Thirteen  except  Georgia  have  been 
honoured.  Possibly  this  will  receive  recog- 
nition in  the  future.  It  is  to  be  noted,  how- 
ever, that  the  adjectives  are  omitted  in  the 
Carolinas  and  New  Hampshire.  New  York 
is  the  exception  together  with  Rhode  Island. 
The  other   States   which   have   given   their 


H4       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

names  to  streets  are  Alabama,  Arkansas, 
California,  the  Dakotas  without  the  qualify- 
ing adjective,  Florida,  Illinois,  Indiana, 
Iowa,  Kansas,  Kentucky,  Louisiana,  Mich- 
igan, Minnesota,  Missouri,  Nebraska, 
Nevada,  Tennessee,  Utah,  Vermont,  Wis- 
consin and  Wyoming.  The  natural  infer- 
ence from  this  is  that  San  Francisco  has 
drawn  her  population  from  all  parts  of  the 
land;  so  that  here  you  have  representatives 
of  our  great  country,  north,  south,  east  and 
west  gathered  together.  While  there  are 
many  who  delight  to  call  themselves  Native 
Sons,  yet  their  fathers  have  sprung  from 
households  in  New  England  and  in  the 
South  and  in  the  Middle  States  and  else- 
where and  new  peoples  are  steadily  migrat- 
ing to  the  Pacific  slopes,  notably  to  this 
Queen  City  by  the  Golden  Gate.  In  my  in- 
tercourse with  S'an  Franciscans,  this  or  that 
worthy  citizen  would  say,  with  no  little 
pride,  I  was  born  in  New  York,  Boston  is 
my  birthplace,  I  am  a  native  of  Albany,  or 
Saratoga,  or  Philadelphia,  or  Baltimore,  or 
Savannah  or  New  Orleans.  Sometimes  one 
would  say  to  me,   I  came  from  the  East. 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  115 

What  part  ?  The  answer  would  be  at  times, 
Chicago,  or  St.  Louis,  or  Omaha,  as  the 
case  might  be.  But  one  thing  was  very  no- 
ticeable, that  they  were  all  loyal  Americans. 
I  think  it  may  be  truly  said  that  the  spirit  of 
patriotism  is  even  stronger  in  the  Pacific 
States  than  at  the  East.  You  could  see  the 
Flag  of  the  Union  everywhere,  and  there 
was  abundant  evidence  in  the  life  and 
speech  of  the  people  of  San  Francisco  and 
of  California  generally  that  they  were  an 
integral  part  of  the  Republic  and  as  anxious 
to  have  it  prosperous  and  great  and  united 
as  the  most  ardent  American  in  any  other 
part  of  the  land. 

The  cosmopolitan  character  of  San  Fran- 
cisco is  further  indicated  by  the  names  of 
foreign  countries  and  places  which  some  of 
her  streets  bear.  Here  we  note  in  our  walks 
the  names  of  Denmark  and  Japan,  Hon- 
duras and  Montenegro,  Trinidad,  Venez- 
uela and  Valencia,  and  also  the  Spanish  town 
De  Haro.  Certain  names  also  of  cities  tell 
us  whence  people  have  come  to  the  City  of 
the  Golden  Gate.  We  find  an  Albany,  an 
Austin,   and  a  Chattanooga  street.     There 


n6       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

are  also  streets  called  Erie,  Hartford,  Vicks- 
burg  and  York,  San  Jose  and  Santa  Clara, 
while  Fair  Oaks  speaks  of  one  of  the  great 
battlefields  of  the  Civil  War.  Some  of  the 
counties  of  the  State  have  also  fixed  their 
names  on  the  streets  as  Butte,  El  Dorado, 
Mariposa,  Napa,  Solano  and  Sonoma.  The 
Potomac  River  has  a  name  here  also,  while 
Sierra  and  Shasta  represent  the  mountains. 
There  are  names  of  streets  besides  which 
take  us  among  the  trees  and  shrubs,  such  as 
the  Cedar,  the  Locust,  the  Linden,  the  Oak, 
the  Walnut,  the  Willow,  the  Ivy,  the  Lau- 
rel and  the  Myrtle.  Of  flowers  there  is  a 
profusion  in  San  Francisco.  They  bloom 
on  every  hand;  and  wherever  there  is  a  bit 
of  ground  or  lawn  in  front  of  a  house  there 
you  will  see  plants  or  flowers  in  blossom. 
Fuschias  attain  the  height  of  ten  feet  in 
some  places  and  are  magnificent  in  the  colour 
and  beauty  of  their  flowers.  The  heliotrope 
climbs  up  its  support  with  eagerness  and  its 
blossoms  vie  in  hue  with  the  blue  skies.  You 
may  also  see  the  pink  flowers  of  the  Malva 
plant  in  abundance,  the  chaste  mignonette 
and  the  Australian  pea-vine.     The  latter  is  a 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  117 

favourite  and  clothes  the  bare  walls  of  fence 
or  house  or  trellis  with  a  robe  of  beauty 
which  queens  might  envy.  Roses  are  rich 
and  fragrant,  white  and  pink  chiefly,  and 
delight  the  eye,  no  matter  which  way  you 
turn.  The  Acacia  grows  here  in  San  Fran- 
cisco as  if  it  were  native  to  the  soil;  and  the 
Monterey  Cypress,  green  and  beautiful, 
makes  a  handsome  hedge,  or,  when  given 
room  and  air,  it  attains  to  stately  propor- 
tions. Here  also  you  will  find  the  Eucalyp- 
tus tree  in  its  perfection,  stately  in  form 
with  its  ivy-green  foliage,  and  you  look  upon 
it  with  an  admiring  eye.  California  may  be 
truly  called  a  land  of  flowers  as  well  as  a 
land  of  fruits;  and  we  err  not  in  judgment 
when  we  say  that  close  association  with  these 
beautiful  products  of  the  earth  has  a  refin- 
ing and  an  uplifting  influence  on  the  human 
heart.  A  man  who  has  love  for  a  flower  is 
brought  near  to  the  Lord  of  the  flowers, 
Who  said  as  He  walked  over  the  meadows 
of  Palestine — "  Consider  the  lilies  of  the 
field,  how  they  grow."  So  they  have  their 
sweet  message  of  love  and  gentleness  and 
peace  for  all,  yes,  these  "  stars  of  the  earth," 


n8       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

as  the  poet  calls  them.  Such  thoughts  come 
to  you  as  you  gaze  on  the  rich  gardens  of 
San  Francisco  and  note  their  wealth  of 
bright  blossoms,  brightening  man's  life  and 
rilling  his  soul  with  poetry  and  sentiment 
and  longing  for  the  beautiful  and  for  the 
good. 

As  we  walk  through  the  city  we  note  that 
it  is  rapidly  extending  itself  towards  the 
south  and  the  slopes  of  the  Pacific,  and  new 
homes  are  constantly  appearing  in  its  sub- 
urbs, even  climbing  up  the  hills  to  the  west. 
Market  street,  broad  and  straight,  is  San 
Francisco's  main  artery  of  business  activity, 
and  the  cable  cars  which  run  through  it  are 
so  numerous  that  a  person  who  undertakes 
to  cross  this  great  avenue,  especially  during 
the  busy  hours  of  the  day,  must  be  careful 
lest  he  be  run  over.  It  reminds  one  of 
Broadway,  New  York,  in  this  respect.  All 
streets  of  the  city  converge  towards  Market 
street.  Crowds  of  people  throng  it,  and  this 
is  true,  particularly  during  Saturday  night, 
when  the  labours  of  the  week  are  ended  and 
the  populace  seek  recreation.  There  are 
many  large  and  attractive  buildings  on  this 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  119 

street,  as  for  example  "  The  Call  Building," 
"The  Chronicle  Building,"  "The  Palace 
Hotel,"  and  the  "  Emporium."  As  you 
walk  up  and  down  studying  life  you  note 
many  things,  and  you  see  good  nature  de- 
picted in  the  faces  of  the  people  whom  you 
meet.  They  all  look  bright  and  intelligent. 
I  think  there  is  something  in  the  sur- 
roundings and  in  the  exhilarating  at- 
mosphere which  promotes  fellowship  and 
good  feeling.  There  is  a  keen  sense  of 
humour  often  manifest.  Among  many  of 
the  things  which  I  saw  was  an  illuminated 
sign,  with  the  legend :  "  Your  bosom 
friend."  As  I  drew  near  it  I  discovered 
that  it  was  over  a  shirt  store.  It  was  cer- 
tainly most  suggestive.  The  women,  as 
you  see  them  going  hither  and  thither,  are 
the  picture  of  health  and  many  of  them  can 
boast  of  real  beauty.  Here  are  few  if  any 
pale  faces,  sallow  complexions,  cadaverous 
cheeks.  There  are  various  types  of  nation- 
ality, but  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  a  Cali- 
fornia or  San  Francisco  type,  which  is  the 
product  of  climate  and  environment.  One 
is  struck  with  the  animation  manifested  in 


120       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  faces  and  movements  of  the  men  and 
women.  They  are  quick  too  in  reaching 
conclusions  and  witty  in  observation.  A 
young  man  in  one  of  the  railway  offices 
asked  this  question :  "  What,"  said  he  to 
me,  "  is  the  difference  in  dress  between  a 
bishop  and  any  other  clergyman,  "  I  re- 
plied that  some  of  the  bishops  wore  aprons, 
and  that  this  was  the  only  real  difference  in 
daily  attire — except  some  special  mark  on 
the  coat  or  the  shape  of  the  hat.  I  hastened 
to  add  by  way  of  pleasantry,  that  my  friend 
Ashton,  who  was  standing  beside  me,  and  I 
had  not  an  apron  as  yet.  "  Well,"  he  re- 
plied promptly,  "  you  have  gotten  beyond 
that." 

They  take  pleasure  in  telling  a  good  story 
also.  As  Ashton  and  I  were  travelling  one 
afternoon  to  San  Rafael  we  were  joined  on 
the  Saucelito  ferry  boat  by  a  benevolent 
gentleman,  named  Ingram,  who  said  he  was 
a  cousin  of  the  Bishop  of  London.  As  we 
talked  over  various  matters  he  finally  said, 
"  I  will  tell  you  a  story.  An  Irishman  landed 
in  New  York  after  a  stormy  voyage ;  and  as 
he  walked  up  Broadway  he  thought  that  he 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  121 

would  go  into  the  first  place  he  saw,  which 
looked  like  a  Roman  Catholic  church,  and 
there  offer  thanks  for  his  safe  journey. 
When  he  came  to  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  with  the 
statute  of  the  Apostle  in  view,  he  went  into 
it,  and  kneeling  down  he  began  to  cross  him- 
self. The  sexton  seeing  his  demonstrations 
said  to  him,  "  This  is  not  a  Roman  church, 
this  is  a  Protestant  church."  But  said  he, 
"  It  is  a  Catholic  church.  Don't  you  see  the 
cross  and  the  candles  on  the  altar."  "  O 
no,"  said  the  sexton  in  reply,  "  It  is  a  Prot- 
estant church."  "  No,  no,"  said  the  Irish- 
man, "  you  can't  convince  me  that  St.  Paul 
turned  Protestant  when  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica!" 

One  is  impressed  with  the  air  of  pros- 
perity and  thrift  on  every  hand.  Many  of 
the  houses  are  artistic  in  construction  and 
elegant  in  their  furnishings.  Some  of  them 
are  stately  mansions,  notably  the  Stanford, 
Huntington,  Hopkins  and  Crocker  resi- 
dences on  California  avenue,  in  its  most  con- 
spicuous section.  The  homes  of  these  Cali- 
fornia kings  are  adorned  with  costly  works 
of  art,  choice  paintings,  and  beautifully  chis- 


122        BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

elled  marbles.  During  the  sessions  of  the 
General  Convention  the  Crocker  mansions 
on  the  north  side  of  the  avenue  were  the 
centre  of  attraction  in  the  liberal  hospitality 
dispensed  there  and  the  courtesies  shown  to 
many  of  the  Bishops  and  other  Clergy.  On 
the  evening  of  Wednesday,  October  the 
ninth,  Bishop  Nichols  held  a  reception  for 
the  Bishops,  other  Clergy,  the  Lay  Deputies, 
and  their  friends,  in  the  Hopkins'  mansion, 
on  the  south  side  of  California  avenue.  This 
is  now  used  as  an  Art  Institute,  and  it  is 
admirably  adapted  to  its  purpose.  The 
building  was  thronged  all  the  evening  by 
the  members  of  the  Convention  and  the  rep- 
resentatives of  San  Francisco  society.  Five 
thousand  people  high  in  the  councils  of  the 
Church  and  the  Nation  and  in  social  walks 
were  in  attendance;  and  it  was  impossible 
to  accommodate  all  who  came.  It  is  said 
that  hundreds  were  turned  away.  The 
writer  and  his  friends  considered  themselves 
fortunate  to  be  able  to  thread  their  way 
through  the  crowd  without  being  crushed 
or  having  their  garments  torn.  It  was  the 
grandest  function  of  a  social  character  which 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  123 

ever  took  place  on  the  Pacific  coast.  The 
costly  paintings  adorning  chambers,  galler- 
ies and  reception  rooms,  the  splendid  speci- 
mens of  statuary,  the  numerous  pictures,  the 
brilliant  lights,  the  strains  of  joyous  music, 
but  above  all  the  moving  throng  of  hand- 
some women  beautifully  arrayed,  and  the 
noble  bearing  of  Bishop,  Priest  and  layman, 
with  the  fine  intellectual  faces  seen  on  all 
sides,  made  this  reception  a  scene  never  to  be 
forgotten.  Who,  in  the  days  of  *  forty-nine, 
would  have  dreamed  that,  a  little  over  a  half 
a  century  later,  there  would  be  such  a  mag- 
nificent gathering  of  intellect  and  beauty, — 
men  and  women  with  lofty  aims  and  noted 
for  their  achievements  in  letters  and  art, 
and  their  prominence  in  Church  and  State, 
and  excelling  in  virtuous  deeds,  on  a  hill 
which  was  then  a  barren  waste  of  shifting 
sands? 

While  I  am  speaking  of  the  reception 
in  the  Hopkins'  Art  institute,  I  may  note 
that  Californians  have  a  great  love  for  art. 
Their  own  grand  scenery  of  mountain  and 
valley  and  ocean  fosters  the  love  for  the 
beautiful;    and  to-day  they  can  point  with 


124       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

pride  to  the  works  of  such  men  as  Julian 
Rix,  Charles  Dickman,  H.  J.  Bloomer,  J. 
M.  Gamble,  and  H.  Breuer,  whose  land- 
scapes are  eagerly  sought  for,  and  command 
high  prices.  The  frequent  sales  of  paint- 
ings are  the  best  evidence  that  the  people  of 
San  Francisco  equal  the  citizens  of  the  old- 
est cities  of  the  land  in  refinement  and  the 
elevation  of  the  mind  and  heart  above  the 
mere  desire  to  make  money.  There  is  also 
a  goodly  array  of  female  artists  who  deserve 
praise  and  honour.  Eastern  cities  mustjook 
well  to  their  laurels  in  the  matter  of  art  as 
well  as  in  many  other  things.  The  contrast 
between  1849  ar>d  190 1  in  the  prices  paid  for 
articles  of  consumption  and  service  rendered 
is  quite  remarkable.  When  Bayard  Taylor 
visited  San  Francisco  in  1849  ne  paid  the 
sum  of  two  dollars  to  a  Mexican  porter  to 
carry  his  trunk  from  the  ship  to  the  Plaza 
or  Portsmouth  Square.  Here  in  an  adobe 
building,  he  tells  us,  he  had  his  lodging. 
His  bed,  in  a  loft,  and  his  three  meals  per 
day,  consisting  of  beefsteak,  bread  and 
coffee,  cost  him  thirty-five  dollars  a  week. 
From  other  sources  we  learn  that,   if  you 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  125 

kept  house,  you  had  to  pay  fifty  cents  per 
pound  for  potatoes, — one  might  weigh  a 
pound.  Apples  were  sold  at  fifty  cents  a 
piece,  dried  apples  at  seventy-five  cents  a 
pound.  Fresh  beef  cost  fifty  cents  a  pound, 
milk  was  a  dollar  a  quart,  hens  brought  six 
dollars  a  piece,  eggs  nine  dollars  a  dozen, 
and  butter  brought  down  from  Oregon,  was 
sold  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
per  pound.  Flour  was  in  demand  at  fifty 
dollars  a  barrel,  and  a  basket  of  greens 
would  readily  bring  eight  dollars.  A  cow 
cost  two  hundred  dollars.  A  tin  coffee  pot 
was  worth  five  dollars,  and  a  small  cooking 
stove  was  valued  at  one  hundred  dollars.  A 
cook  commanded  three  hundred  dollars  a 
month,  a  clerk  two  hundred  dollars  a 
month,  and  a  carpenter  received  twelve  dol- 
lars a  day.  Lumber  sold  for  four  hundred 
dollars  per  thousand  feet,  and  for  a  small 
dwelling  house  you  had  to  pay  a  rental  of 
five  hundred  dollars  per  month.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  people  were  pouring  into 
San  Francisco  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
in  search  of  gold,  that  there  were  few  if  any 
persons  to  till  the  ground,  and  that  many  of 


126       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  articles  in  demand  for  life's  necessities 
were  brought  either  across  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  or  around  by  Cape  Horn.  In  con- 
sequence the  cost  of  living  was  necessarily 
high.  To-day  you  can  live  as  cheaply  in 
San  Francisco  or  any  other  city  of  Califor- 
nia, as  Santa  Barbara,  Los  Angeles,  or  San 
Diego,  as  in  any  eastern  city  or  town. 
Rooms  with  board  can  be  secured  at  the 
Palace  Hotel,  corner  of  Market  street  and 
New  Montgomery,  at  the  rate  of  three  dol- 
lars and  a  half  per  day  up  to  five  dollars. 
Without  board  you  can  obtain  a  room  for 
the  sum  of  one  dollar  and  a  half  up  to  three 
dollars.  The  Grand  Hotel,  the  annex  to  the 
Palace,  and  just  across  the  street,  offers  the 
same  rates  as  the  Palace.  The  Lick  House, 
the  corner  of  Montgomery  and  Sutter 
streets,  will  take  you  for  three  dollars 
up  to  five  per  day.  The  Occidental,  cor- 
ner of  Montgomery  and  Bush  streets 
charges  also  from  three  dollars  up  to  five 
per  day  for  board  and  room.  The  Califor- 
nia Hotel,  an  imposing  structure,  on  Bush 
street,  supplies  rooms  at  the  rate  of  one  dol- 
lar  per   day   and   upwards.     The   Baldwin, 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  127 

corner  of  Market  and  Powell  streets,  charges 
for  board  and  room  at  the  rate  of  two  dol- 
lars and  a  half  up  to  five  per  day;  and  the 
Russ  House  receives  guests,  giving  room 
and  board  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  and  a  half 
up  to  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day — this 
hotel  is  situated  on  the  corner  of  Montgom- 
ery and  Pine  streets.  There  are  many  other 
hotels  where  the  traveller  can  be  made  com- 
fortable at  a  moderate  cost.  It  is  the  same 
with  many  private  houses  which  are  open 
for  guests.  In  the  latter  a  parlor  and  bed- 
room with  the  luxury  of  a  bath  may  be  had 
for  two  dollars  per  day.  A  single  room 
can  be  secured  for  a  dollar  a  day.  In  such 
a  case  you  can  obtain  your  meals  at  one  of 
the  numerous  restaurants  for  which  San 
Francisco  is  noted.  There  are  the  restau- 
rants at  the  Palace,  the  California  and  other 
prominent  hotels,  the  Maison  Doree  in 
Kearney  street,  Westerfeldt's  in  Market 
street,  and  the  Cafe  in  the  Call  Building  on 
the  top  floor  of  the  tower,  from  which  you 
have  a  commanding  view  of  the  city  in  all 
directions.  Good  servants  can  be  had  at  the 
rate  of  thirty  dollars  per  month,  especially 


128       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  much  abused  Chinese,  who  cook  and  do 
the  laundry  work,  and  wait  on  the  table, 
and  render  a  willing  service.  I  recall  the 
faithfulness  of  the  Chinaman  "  Fred,"  who 
tried  to  please  his  employer,  and  also  the 
fidelity  and  zeal  of  "  Max,"  the  Dane,  or 
Mads  Christensen.  Max  was  an  ideal 
waiter.  He  had  been  only  nine  months  in 
the  United  States,  and  yet  he  had  learned 
sufficient  of  the  English  language  to  under- 
stand what  was  said  to  him  and  to  express 
himself  clearly.  It  is  an  example  of  persist- 
ence; and  Max  had  the  qualities  which,  in 
a  young  man,  are  bound  to  lead  to  success. 

In  addition  to  the  other  great  buildings 
you  cannot  fail  to  notice  the  New  City  Hall, 
a  magnificent  pile  including  the  Hall  of 
Records  to  the  east  of  the  main  structure. 
The  location  is  somewhat  central,  being  op- 
posite Eighth  street,  just  north  of  Market 
street,  and  bounded  by  Park  avenue,  Lar- 
kin  and  McAllister  streets.  The  plot  of 
ground  on  which  it  is  erected  has  an  area 
of  six  and  three-quarters  acres  and  is  tri- 
angular in  shape.  The  front  is  eight  hun- 
dred feet  in  length,  the  Larkin  street  side 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  129 

five  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  the  McAllis- 
ter side  six  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long. 
While  the  architecture  is  difficult  to  de- 
scribe, as  being  of  any  particular  order,  yet 
it  may  be  said  that  it  is  partly  classical, 
partly  of  the  renaissance  style  and  that  it 
has  a  suggestion  of  the  Byzantine  period, 
which  is  seen  in  so  many  buildings  of  a  pub- 
lic character.  Nothing,  however,  could  be 
more  dignified  than  this  great  and  imposing 
structure,  which  is  traversed  by  a  main  cor- 
ridor crossed  by  a  central  one  with  two 
others,  one  in  the  east  and  the  other  in  the 
west.  These  corridors  which  give  you  a 
sense  of  amplitude,  are  paved  with  Vermont 
marble.  It  has  one  chief  dome,  three  hun- 
dred feet  above  the  base,  which  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  colossal  figure  with  a  torch  in 
the  uplifted  right  hand,  a  goddess  of  liberty. 
On  another  section  of  the  Hall  is  a  small 
tower  with  a  flag  staff,  then  a  lower  dome 
with  a  flag  staff,  the  dome  being  supported 
by  pillars  with  Corinthian  capitals.  Flowers 
were  in  bloom  in  the  court-yards  the  day 
when  I  visited  the  building,  and  they  gave 
an  artistic  appearance  to  the  granite-founda- 


130       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

tions.  The  upper  courses  of  the  Hall  are 
made  of  stucco  in  imitation  of  granite.  The 
building,  which  was  begun  in  1870,  was 
completed  in  1895.  What  it  cost  is  hard  to 
tell.  I  questioned  several  persons  in  re- 
gard to  it,  but  received  different  answers, 
ranging  all  the  way  from  five  millions  of 
dollars  up  to  thirteen  millions.  San  Fran- 
cisco, however,  may  well  be  proud  of  the 
white  edifice,  in  which  are  located  most  of 
the  offices  relating  to  the  business  of  the 
city.  But  we  must  not  depart  from  these 
precincts  until  we  have  examined  the  monu- 
mental group  in  the  New  City  Hall  Square 
on  the  south  side  or  front.  The  monument 
is  circular  in  form  and  is  crowned  with  a 
figure  of  a  woman,  representing  California, 
in  bronze.  She  wears  a  chaplet  made  of 
olive  leaves,  and  holds  a  wand  in  her  right 
hand,  and  in  her  left  a  large  disk  bordered 
with  stars,  while  a  bear  is  seen  standing  on 
her  right  side.  No  doubt  Bruin  has  refer- 
ence to  the  famous  bear  flag  which  had  been 
raised  on  the  Plaza  in  1846,  when  California 
declared  herself  independent  of  Mexico,  and 
which  in  the  same  year  gave  place  to  the 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  131 

Stars  and  Stripes.  Around  the  monumen- 
tal figure  of  California  are  subjects  in 
bronze.  First  of  all  there  is  an  overland 
wagon  drawn  by  oxen,  with  pioneers  ac- 
companying it.  Secondly  an  Indian  wig- 
wam with  hunters  and  Indians  representing 
the  year  1850.  In  the  third  scene  we  have 
a  buffalo  hunt,  the  hunter  holding  a  lasso 
in  his  hand,  and  then  there  is  the  dying  buf- 
falo. Succeeding  this  we  have  a  domestic 
scene — fruits  and  wheat — and  a  reaper  in 
1848.  We  then  note  bronze-medallions  of 
Sutter,  James  Lick,  Fremont,  Drake,  the 
American  Flag,  and  Serra.  Moreover  on 
this  central  monument  we  have  the  names 
of  Stockton,  Castro,  Vallejo.  Marshall,  Sloat, 
Larkin,  Cabrillo-Portalo.  Then  the  date, 
"  Erected  A.  D.  1894.  Dedicated  to  the 
City  of  San  Francisco  by  James  Lick." 

The  scenes  on  the  four  monuments 
around  the  central  one  are — First,  the  find- 
ing of  gold  in  "  '49  " — three  miners.  Sec- 
ond, a  figure  with  an  oar.  Third,  Early 
Days.  Indian  with  bow  and  arrow.  Pio- 
neer with  saddle  and  lasso.  A  Franciscan 
preaching.     Fourth,  a  figure  crowned  with 


132       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

wheat,  apples  in  right  hand,  and  the  Horn 
of  plenty  with  various  fruits  in  the  left  hand. 
The  monument  bears  this  inscription,  near 
the  base — Whyte  and  De  Rome,  Founders. 
Frank  Appersberger,  Sculptor. 

In  front  of  this  most  interesting  monu- 
ment is  a  cannon  that  has  a  history.  Near 
the  head  of  this  instrument  of  destruction  is 
the  legend,  Pluribus  nee  Impar.  On  the 
body  of  the  cannon  we  read  Le  Prince  De 
Conde.  Ultima  Ratio  Regum.  Louis 
Charles  De  Bourbon — Comte  D'Eu.,  Due 
D'Aumale.  A  Douay — Par  T.  Berenger, 
Commissionaire.     Des  Fontes  Le  23  Mars, 

1754. 

The  cannon  is  made  of  bronze,  has  a  coat 
of  arms,  and  is  otherwise  ornamented.  It 
has  two  handles  in  the  shape  of  dragons. 
It  is  twelve  feet  long.  But  it  has  another 
inscription  in  which  we  are  deeply  inter- 
ested. This  is  in  English,  and  reads  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Captured  at  Santiago  De  Cuba,  July  17, 
1898,  by  the  Fifth  Army  Corps,  U.  S.  Army, 
Commanded  by  Major  General  William 
R.    Shafter,   and  presented   by  him  to   the 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  133 

City  of  San  Francisco,  California,  in  trust 
for  the  Native  Sons  of  the  Golden  West, 
and  (accepted  as  a  token  of  the  valor  and 
patriotism  of  the  Army  of  the  United 
States." 

While  I  was  reading  the  inscriptions  and 
making-  measurements  an  open  two-seated 
carriage  was  driven  up  to  the  curbstone, 
about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  From 
this  a  gentleman  in  a  business  suit,  about 
sixty  years  of  age,  alighted  and  approached 
me.  He  was  a  man  of  pleasing  address.  He 
said  to  me,  "  You  seem  to  be  interested  in  this 
cannon."  "  I  am,"  was  the  reply.  Then  he  be- 
gan to  pace  it  and  to  examine  it,  and  said, 
"  It  is  just  twelve  feet  long."  He  thought 
that  possibly  it  came  into  the  hands  of  the 
Spaniards  during  the  Napoleonic  wars,  and 
that  it  at  length  found  its  way  over  to  Cuba 
to  help  in  enslaving  the  people  of  that  island. 
As  I  was  attracted  to  my  informant,  I  ven- 
tured to  ask  him  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
addressing.  Imagine  my  astonishment  and 
delight  when  he  said  modestly — "  I  am  Gen- 
eral Shatter."  I  said  to  him,  "  I  am  glad  to 
meet  one  so  brave  and  who  has  helped  to 


134       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

add  new  lustre  to  our  Flag."  He  replied 
that  "  he  considered  it  a  privilege  to  have 
had  a  share  in  the  liberation  of  Cuba,  and 
that  our  beloved  nation  was  on  the  march  to 
still  greater  glory."  Finding  out  where  I 
came  from,  and  that  I  lived  near  Ballston 
Spa,  he  said,  "  You  must  know  my  son-in- 
law,  William  H.  McKittrick."  I  replied 
that  I  did,  that  I  knew  him  when  he  was  a 
boy,  and  that  he  and  his  family  were  my 
parishioners,  when  I  was  Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Ballston  Spa,  twenty-eight  years 
ago.  Said  he,  "  William  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  Cuban  War.  He  is  now  a  Cap- 
tain and  Assistant  Adjutant-General,  and  it 
was  he  who  was  the  first  to  hoist  the  Flag 
over  Santiago."  The  General  having  cour- 
teously invited  me  to  call  on  him,  soon  after 
bade  me  good-bye.  It  was  a  chance  meet- 
ing, but  full  of  interest,  especially  under  the 
circumstances.  Here  was  the  hero  who  had 
captured  the  cannon  and  who  had  won  lau- 
rels for  himself  and  for  his  country.  Mc- 
Kittrick also  comes  of  a  patriotic  family, 
his  father  having  laid  his  life  on  the  altar 
of  his  country  in  the  Civil  War;    and  after 


FROM  STREETS  TO  A  CANNON  135 

the  elder  McKittrick  is  named  the  Grand 
Army  Post  of  Ballston  Spa,  N.  Y. — Post 
McKittrick.  General  Shafter  was  as  mod- 
est on  the  day  when  I  met  him  by  the  can- 
non as  he  was  brave  at  Santiago.  While  the 
Republic  has  such  worthy  sons  she  has  noth- 
ing to  fear.  Her  mission  is  one  of  peace 
to  her  own  people  in  all  the  States  and  Ter- 
ritories of  the  Union,  and  in  all  our  Colonial 
possessions;  and  the  motto  of  every  citizen 
should  be  Non  sibi  sed  Patrice.  For  every 
churchman  it  ought  to  be  Non  sibi  sed  Ec- 
clesice. 


CHAPTER  VII 

CHINAMEN      OF      SAN      FRANCISCO THEIR 

CALLINGS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS 

A  Visit  to  Chinatown — Its  Boundaries — A  Terra  In- 
cognita— Fond  of  Mongrels — My  Licensed  Guide — 
The  Study  of  the  Signs — Men  of  All  Callings — 
Picture  of  the  Chinaman — Devoid  of  Humour — 
Confucius — Great  Men  from  Good  Mothers — Con- 
fucius to  Women — Mormonism  and  Mohamme- 
danism— How  to  Regenerate  China — Slaves  of  the 
Lamp — Chinamen  Impassive — Aroused  to  Wrath — 
How  They  Dress — The  Queue — "  Pidgin  "  English 
— Payment  of  Debts — Bankrupt  Law — Suicide. 

When  in  the  City  of  the  Golden  Gate 
you  will  not  fail  to  visit  the  Chinese  Quarter, 
or  "  Chinatown,"  as  it  is  popularly  called. 
Just  as  in  an  Oriental  city  like  Jerusalem  or 
Constantinople  you  find  different  national- 
ities or  races  living-  apart  from  each  other, 
so  here  in  San  Francisco  you  have  "  Little 
China  "  in  the  heart  of  Anglo-Saxon  civili- 
sation. It  is  as  if  you  had  unfolded  to  your 
wondering-  eyes  in  a  dream  some  town  from 
136 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  137 

the  banks  of  the  Pearl  River,  the  Yangtse- 
Kiang,  or  the  Hwangho  or  Yellow  River; 
and  it  seems  strange  indeed  that,  without  the 
trouble  or  expense  and  danger  of  crossing 
the  waters  of  the  Pacific,  you  can  by  a  short 
walk  from  the  midst  of  the  teeming  life  of 
an  American  City,  be  ushered  into  streets 
that  are  foreign  in  appearance  and  where 
scenes  that  are  unfamiliar  to  the  eye  attract 
your  attention  on  every  hand.  With  the 
exception  of  the  houses,  which,  as  a  rule, 
take  on  a  European  or  an  American  style  of 
architecture,  you  might  imagine  that  you 
were  in  Canton  or  some  other  Chinese  city. 
The  life  is  truly  Asiatic  and  Mongolian  in 
its  character  and  in  its  display  as  well  as  in 
its  customs.  The  home  of  the  sons  of  the 
Flowery  Kingdom  in  San  Francisco  is  in 
the  north-eastern  section  of  the  city,  and 
may  be  said  to  be  in  one  of  the  best  portions 
of  the  metropolis  of  the  West,  sheltered  as 
it  is  from  the  winds  of  the  Pacific  by  the 
hills  which  are  back  of  it,  and  with  a  com- 
manding view  of  the  Bay  and  its  islands 
and  the  magnificent  landscapes  to  the  east, 
valleys  and  hills  running  up  to  the  heights 


138       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

of  the  Sierras.  The  locality  is  bounded  by- 
Jackson,  Pacific,  Dupont,  Commercial,  and 
Sacramento  streets,  and  embraces  some 
eight  squares;  and  within  this  space, 
crowded  together,  are  the  twenty-five  or 
thirty  thousand  Chinese  who  form  a  part  of 
the  population  of  the  city.  There  are  China- 
men here  and  there  in  other  parts  of  San 
Francisco,  but  nearly  all  live  here  in  this 
quarter  which  we  are  now  approaching. 
Here  there  are  the  homes  of  the  people  who 
came  from  the  land  of  Confucius,  here  the 
famous  shops,  the  theatres,  the  Joss-houses 
where  heathen  worship  is  maintained.  As 
soon  then  as  you  set  foot  within  the  area 
described  you  feel  that  you  are  in  a  strictly 
foreign  country;  and  if  this  is  your  first 
visit,  the  place  is  to  you  a  sort  of  terra  incog- 
nita. You  will  need  a  guide  to  take  you 
through  its  labyrinths  and  point  out  to  you 
its  hidden  recesses  and  explain  the  strange 
sights  and  interpret  for  you  the  language 
which  sounds  so  oddly  to  your  ears.  If  you 
have  not  some  man  to  conduct  you, 
a  dragoman  or  courier,  you  will  be  likely 
to  make  mistakes  as  ludicrous  as  that  re- 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  139 

lated  of  an  English  woman.  Sir  Henry 
Howarth,  the  author  of  the  "  History  of 
the  Mongols,"  a  learned  and  laborious  work, 
was  out  dining  one  evening.  It  fell  to  his 
lot  at  his  host's  house  to  escort  a  lady  to  the 
dinner  table;  and  she,  having  a  confused 
idea  of  the  great  man's  theme,  surprised 
him  somewhat  by  the  abrupt  question,  "  I 
understand,  Sir  Henry,  that  you  are  fond 
of  dogs.  Are  you  not?  I  am  too."  "  Dogs, 
madam?  I  really  must  plead  guiltless.  I 
know  nothing  at  all  of  them!  "  "  Indeed," 
his  fair  questioner  replied;  "and  they  told 
me  you  had  written  a  famous  history  of 
mongrels !  "  It  is  best  then  always  to  take 
a  guide,  and  you  will  have  no  trouble  in 
finding  one,  who  will  charge  you  from  two 
to  three  dollars  an  hour.  If  you  go  with  a 
small  party,  which  is  best,  all  can  share  the 
expense.  It  will  take  about  three  hours  to 
explore  the  town  thoroughly  and  study  the 
life.  The  writer  went  through  Chinatown 
on  two  evenings  at  an  interval  of  a  few 
days,  and  saw  this  Asiatic  Quarter  of  San 
Francisco  to  great  advantage.  The  first 
time  was  with  a  licensed  guide  of  long  ex- 


140       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

perience,  and  the  second  time  it  was  under 
the  direction  of  a  police-detective.  Some 
five  friends  were  in  the  party;  and  we 
started  on  our  tour  of  exploration  about  half 
past  nine  o'clock  at  night.  The  night  is  the 
best  time  in  which  to  study  the  life,  for 
then  you  can  see  the  Chinese  in  their  houses 
and  at  their  amusements,  as  well  as  many 
others  who  still  are  at  work;  for  some  of  the 
Chinese  artisans  toil  for  sixteen  hours  a 
day,  and  long  into  the  hours  of  the  night. 
Here  among  them  are  no  strikes  for  fewer 
hours,  but  patient  toil,  as  it  were  in  a  tread- 
mill, without  a  murmur.  My  licensed  guide 
was  Henry  Gehrt.  a  man  about  fifty-five 
years  old,  of  German  parentage.  He  had 
been  in  the  business  for  twenty-seven  years, 
and  he  maintained  an  office  on  Sacramento 
Street.  His  badge  was  No.  60.  All  guides 
must  wear  badges  according  to  law.  As 
we  went  hither  and  thither  we  met  occasion- 
ally groups  of  sight-seers,  among  them  some 
of  our  friends,  members  of  the  Convention, 
Bishops,  and  clerical  and  lay  deputies,  who 
felt  this  was  a  rare  opportunity  to  study 
heathendom;    and  I  am  sure  all  went  away 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  141 

from  this  strange  spot  thanking  God  for  our 
noble  Anglo-Saxon  civilisation,  as  well  as 
for  the  knowledge  of  His  Revelation. 

The  houses,  I  observed,  are  three,  and 
sometimes  four  stories  high,  with  balconies 
and  windows,  which  give  them  a  decidedly 
Oriental  appearance.  On  most  of  them  were 
signs  displayed  in  the  Chinese  language. 
You  also  see  scrolls  by  the  doors  of  the 
private  houses  and  on  the  shops.  The  signs 
are  a  study  in  their  bright  colours  and  their 
mythological  and  fantastic  adornments. 
Yellow  is  the  predominant  colour,  and  the 
dragon  is  in  evidence  everywhere.  This 
emblem  of  the  Celestial  Empire  is  repre- 
sented in  gorgeous  array  and  with  a  profu- 
sion of  ornament.  A  splendid  dragon  is 
the  sign  and  trade  mark  of  "  Sing  Fat  and 
Co.,"  who  keep  a  Chinese  and  Japanese  Ba- 
zaar on  Dupont  Street.  On  their  card  they 
give  this  warning,  "  Beware  of  firms  in- 
fringing on  our  name;  "  and  it  seems  as  if 
the  dragon  on  the  sign  would  avenge  any 
invasion  of  their  rights.  The  signs  are  a 
study,  and  if  you  are  ignorant  of  the  lan- 
guage, you  ask  your  learned  guide  to  inter- 


142       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

pret  them  for  you.  He  will  tell  you  that 
Hop  Wo  does  business  here  as  a  grocer,  that 
Shun  Wo  is  the  butcher,  that  Shan  Tong  is 
the  tea-merchant,  that  Tin  Yuk  is  the 
apothecary,  and  that  Wo-Ki  sells  bric-a- 
brac.  Some  of  the  signs,  your  guide  will 
tell  you,  are  not  the  real  names  of  the  men 
who  do  business,  that  they  are  only  mottoes. 
Wung  Wo  Shang  indicates  to  you  that  per- 
petual concord  begets  wealth.  Hip  Wo 
speaks  to  you  of  brotherly  love  and  har- 
mony. Tin  Yuk  means  a  jewel  from  Heaven, 
Wa  Yun  is  the  fountain  of  flowers,  while 
Man  Li  suggests  thousands  of  profits.  Other 
of  the  signs  relate  to  the  muse.  They  do 
not  at  all  reveal  the  business  carried  on 
within.  The  butcher,  for  example,  has  over 
his  shop  such  elegant  phrases  as  Great  Con- 
cord, Constant  Faith.  Abounding  Virtue. 
There  are  many  pawn-brokers  who  ply  their 
vocation  assiduously.  They  tell  you  of  their 
honest  purpose  after  this  fashion  :  "  Let  each 
have  his  due  pawn-brokers,"  and,  "  Hon- 
est profit  pawn-brokers."  In  the  Chinese 
restaurant,  to  which  we  will  go  later,  you 
will  be  edified  by  such  sentiments  as  these. — 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  143 

The  Almond-Flower  Chamber,  Chamber  of 
the  Odours  of  Distant  Lands,  Garden  of  the 
Golden  Valley,  Fragrant  Tea-Chamber. 
The  apothecary  induces  you  to  enter  his 
store  with  inviting  signs  of  this  character: 
Benevolence  and  Longevity  Hall,  Hall  of 
Everlasting  Spring,  Hall  of  Joyful  Relief, 
Hall  for  Multiplying  Years.  Surely  if  the 
American  druggist  would  exhibit  such  sen- 
tences as  these  over  his  shop  he  would  never 
suffer  for  want  of  customers.  All  are  in 
pursuit  of  length  of  years  and  health;  and 
I  think  the  Chinese  pharmacist  shows  his 
great  wisdom  in  offering  to  all  who  are  suf- 
fering from  the  ills  to  which  flesh  is  heir  a 
panacea  for  their  ailments.  It  takes  the 
fancy,  it  is  a  pleasing  conceit  for  the  mind, 
and  the  mere  thought  that  you  are  entering 
Longevity  Hall  gives  you  fresh  courage! 

You  will  find  here  in  Chinatown  men  of 
all  callings,  the  labourer  who  is  ready  to 
bear  any  burden  you  lay  on  him,  the  artisan 
who  is  skilled  in  his  work,  the  grocer,  the 
clothes'  dealer,  the  merchant,  the  apothecary, 
the  doctor,  the  tinsmith,  the  furniture- 
maker,    the    engraver,    the    goldsmith,    the 


144       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

maker  of  paper-shrines  for  idols,  the  barber, 
the  clairvoyant,  the  fortune-teller,  and  all 
others  of  every  calling  which  is  useful  and 
brings  profit  to  him  who  pursues  it.  But 
we  are  deeply  interested  in  the  men  whom 
we  meet.  At  first  view  they  all  seem  to 
look  alike,  you  can  hardly  distinguish  one 
from  another.  The)''  are  a  study.  Look  on 
their  solemn  faces,  sphinx-like  in  their  re- 
pose and  imperturbability.  They  are  a  riddle 
to  you.  You  rarely  ever  hear  them  laugh. 
They  are  like  a  landscape  beneath  skies 
which  are  wanting  in  the  sparkling  sun- 
beams. They  seem  to  you  as  if  they  had 
continual  sorrow  of  heart,  as  if  some  wrong 
of  past  ages  had  set  its  seal  on  their  features. 
The  Chinaman  has  very  little  sense  of  the 
ludicrous,  and  he  is  lacking  in  the  elements 
of  intellectual  sprightliness  and  vivacity 
which  lead  a  Frenchman  or  an  American  to 
appreciate  and  enjoy  a  sally  of  wit,  a  bon 
mot,  or  a  joke.  Life  indeed  is  better,  and  a 
man  can  bear  his  burdens  with  more  ease 
if  he  has  a  sense  of  humour.  Some  of  the 
great  characters  in  history  have  often  come 
out  of  the  depths  with  triumph  by  reason  of 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  145 

the  spirit  within  them  which  could  perceive 
the  flash  of  wit  and  apply  its  medicine  to  the 
wounds  of  the  heart.  I  think  it  may  be  said, 
as  a  rule,  that  the  Asiatic  has  not  the  power 
to  appreciate  wit  and  humour  like  the  old 
Greek  or  the  Teuton  or  the  Celt.  He  is  not 
wanting  in  his  love  of  the  beautiful,  in  his 
appreciation  of  poetry,  in  the  vision  which 
perceives  the  flowers  blooming  by  the  waters 
in  the  desert,  and  in  the  hearing  which 
catches  the  sound  of  the  harmonies  of  his 
palm-trees  and  lotus  flowers,  but  in  the  sense 
or  faculty  to  seize  on  mirth  and  appropriate 
her  to  his  service  in  burden-bearing  he  is 
sadly  deficient.  He  is  but  a  child  in  this  re- 
spect. While  the  Chinaman  has  inventive 
faculties  and  keen  intellect  and  wonderful 
imitative  powers,  yet  in  other  respects  he 
is  behind  the  progressive  races  of  the  world. 
He  has  made  little  advance  for  thousands  of 
years.  His  isolation,  his  narrow  sphere,  his 
simple  life,  and  his  religion  even,  which, 
while  some  of  its  maxims  and  tenets  are  ad- 
mirable, still  is  lacking  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God  and  in  lofty  ideals,  have  had  a 
marked  effect  upon  his  thoughts  and  habits 


146       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  pursuits.  His  great  teacher,  Confucius, 
who  flourished  five  centuries  before  the 
Christian  era  and  who  spoke  some  sublime 
truths,  was  nevertheless  ignorant  of  a  Reve- 
lation from  heaven  and  inferior  in  his  grasp 
of  religious  truth  to  such  sages  of  Greece  as 
Socrates  and  Plato.  In  his  system  also 
woman  is  practically  a  slave.  She  is  simply 
the  minister  of  man,  and  therefore  unable^ 
rear  up  children,  sons  who  would  reflect  the 
greatness  of  soul  of  a  noble  motherhood.  It 
has  often  been  remarked  that  great  men 
have  had  great  mothers.  I  think  experience 
and  observation  will  bear  out  this  statement. 
Glance  over  the  pages  of  history,  and  emi- 
nent examples  will  rise  up  before  the  view. 
Whence  spring  the  Samuels  and  the  Davids, 
whence  a  Leonidas  and  a  Markos  Bozzaris, 
whence  the  Scipios  and  the  Gracchi,  whence 
the  Augustines  and  the  Chrysostoms,  whence 
the  Alfreds  and  the  Gladstones,  whence  the 
Washingtons  and  the  Lincolns,  whence  the 
Seaburys  and  the  Doanes,  and  many  an- 
other? Are  they  not  all  hewn  from  the  quar- 
ries of  a  noble  motherhood?  Are  they  not 
sprung  from  the  fountain  of  a  womanhood 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  147 

whose  living  streams  are  clear  as  crystal  and 
sweet  and  refreshing?  The  first  Chavah, 
Eve,  is  rightly  styled  the  mother  of  all  liv- 
ing; and  a  generation  or  race  of  men  to  be 
living,  active,  noble  in  achievement,  dis- 
tinguished in  virtues,  must  issue  from  a 
well-spring  which  vitalises  and  beautifies 
and  magnifies  the  spirit  and  the  intellect,  as 
Engannim  waters  her  gardens,  and  Engedi 
nourishes  her  acacias  and  lotus-plants,  and 
Enshemesh  reflects  the  sun's  golden  beams 
the  livelong  day.  But  what,  you  ask,  are 
the  exact  teachings  of  the  sage  Confucius, 
who  influences  Chinese  society  even  to  this 
day,  with  regard  to  woman  ?  Hear  him : 
"  Moreover,  that  you  have  not  in  this  life 
been  born  a  male  is  owing  to  your  amount 
of  wickedness,  heaped  up  in  a  previous  state 
of  existence,  having  been  both  deep  and 
weighty ;  you  would  not  then  desire  to  adorn 
virtue,  to  heap  up  good  actions,  and  learn 
to  do  well !  So  that  you  now  have  been 
hopelessly  born  a  female!  And  if  you  do 
not  this  second  time  specially  amend  your 
faults,  this  amount  of  wickedness  of  yours 
will  be  getting  both  deeper  and  weightier, 


148       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

so  that  it  is  to  be  feared  in  the  next  state  of 
existence,  even  if  you  should  wish  for  a 
male's  body,  yet  it  will  be  very  difficult  to 
get  it."  Again  another  saying  of  Confu- 
cius is :  "  You  must  know  that  for  a  woman 
to  be  without  talent  is  a  virtue  on  her  part." 
With  such  teaching  then  ever  before  them, 
do  you  wonder  that  Chinese  women  do  not 
excel  in  virtue,  and  that  they  are  the 
mothers  of  a  race  of  men  who  are  prac- 
tically like  standing  water  instead  of  a  flow- 
ing fountain  to  refresh  the  waste  places  of 
human  life?  The  teachings  of  Mormon- 
ism  and  Mohammedanism  with  regard  to 
woman  also  degrade  her  and  rob  her  of  the 
beautiful  crown  which  her  Maker  has  put 
upon  her  head;  and  hence  it  is  that  such 
peoples  are  not  virile  and  progressive  like 
the  nations  where  woman  is  looked  upon  as 
man's  helpmeet,  where  she  stands  upon  his 
right  hand  as  a  queen.  The  Mormons  are 
better  in  many  respects  than  their  faith;  and 
if  the  first  generation  was  hardy  and  ag- 
gressive and  brave  in  subduing  the  desert 
and  changing  Rocky  Mountain  wastes  into 
a  blooming  garden,  it  was  because  they  had 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  149 

been  trained  in  the  school  of  Christianity 
and  had  imbibed  lessons  of  wisdom  at  the 
fountain  of  a  pure  faith  and  inherited  from 
Christian  fathers  and  mothers  those  qual- 
ities which  are  stamped  on  the  soul  through 
upright  living  and  a  creed  that  is  formu- 
lated in  true  doctrine.  But  Mormonism  is 
dying  out,  and  woman  in  Utah  is  receiving 
the  rightful  place  assigned  her  by  her 
Creator  in  the  work  of  building  up  the  race 
and  perpetuating  the  virtues  and  forces  of  a 
true  manhood.  The  followers  of  Moham- 
med are  still  numerous  and  powerful,  and 
the  Religion  of  the  Koran  has  shown  great 
vitality  for  centuries.  The  nobility  of  char- 
acter, however,  which  has  manifested  itself 
in  such  lives  as  that  of  Saladin  the  Great  is 
the  product  of  other  causes  than  the  spe- 
cific teachings  and  views  of  Islam  respecting 
domestic  life  and  the  position  and  office  of 
woman.  The  destinies  of  men  have  been 
determined  often  by  their  environments. 
We  must  also  bear  in  mind  that  from  time 
to  time,  under  the  sway  of  the  Crescent,  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  civilised  world  have 
been  brought  under  the  rule  of  the  Sultans, 


150       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  all  that  was  good  and  noble  in  the  lives 
of  peoples  newly  incorporated  into  the  faith 
of  the  Arabian  Prophet  has  contributed  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  strength  of  a  system 
which  has  in  its  own  bosom  the  seeds  of 
decay  and  which  will  ultimately  become 
effete  and  pass  away.  Mohammed  Ali,  the 
founder  of  the  present  Khedivial  house  of 
Egypt,  had  in  his  veins  old  Macedonian 
blood,  and  his  views  respecting  marriage 
and  domestic  life,  as  well  as  the  traditions 
of  his.  family  in  his  old  home  at  Kavala,  had 
much  to  do  with  the  development  of  his 
character  and  his  brilliant  career;  and  hence 
neither  he  nor  others  like  him  in  the  Turkish 
Empire  can  be  singled  out  to  prove  that  a 
religion  which  looks  upon  woman  as  an  in- 
ferior being  to  man  is  excellent  in  its  tend- 
encies and  produces  a  noble  fruitage.  What 
Napoleon  once  said  with  respect  to  France, 
that  she  needed  good  mothers,  is  true  as  re- 
gards China.  Where  woman  is  held  in 
honour  and  where  the  domestic  virtues  are 
woven  into  a  beautiful  chaplet  of  spring- 
time blossoms  to  bedeck  her  brow,  there 
you  will  find  good  and  great  men.    Our  own 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  151 

nation  is  an  example  of  this.  To  regenerate 
China  then,  to  improve  the  morals  of  China- 
town in  San  Francisco,  or  Chinatown  in 
New  York  where  there  are  between  seven 
and  eight  thousand  sons  and  daughters  of 
the  Flowery  Kingdom,  you  must  create  pure 
homes,  and  to  do  this  you  must  first  of  all 
sweeten  them  with  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Confucius  will  fail  you. 
The  Son  of  God  will  reform  you  and  save 
you !  Such  thoughts  and  reflections  as  these 
naturally  sprang  up  in  my  mind  in  my  walks 
through  Chinatown.  I  saw  its  people  on 
every  hand.  Sometimes  they  were  in 
twos,  again  in  groups  of  a  half  a  dozen 
or  more.  They  scarcely  noticed  us  as 
we  walked  by  them;  they  showed  no 
curiosity  to  observe  us,  but  went  on  their 
way  as  though  intent  on  one  object. 
They  moved  about  like  automatons,  as 
if  they  were  a  piece  of  machinery:  and 
such  as  were  at  work  in  shops  heeded  us 
not  even  when  we  stood  over  them  and 
watched  them  as  they  handled  their  tools.  It 
was  work.  work.  They  were  doing  their 
masters'  bidding  like  the  genii  of  the  lamp; 


152       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  in  the  glare  of  the  light  in  which  they 
wrought  on  their  bench  or  at  their  stand  the 
workers  in  gold  and  silver,  the  makers  of 
ornaments  and  jewelry,  were  like  some 
strange  beings  from  another  world.  They 
work  to  the  point  of  endurance.  They  have 
their  amusements,  their  holidays,  as  the  Chi- 
nese New  Year  which  comes  in  February, 
their  processions  from  time  to  time,  but 
their  great  indulgence  is  in  the  use  of  opium. 
Once  or  twice  a  month  the  ordinary  labourer 
or  workman  gives  himself  up  to  its  seduc- 
tive charms,  to  its  power  more  fatal  to  his 
manhood  than  intoxicating  drinks  taken  to 
excess.  The  Chinaman  is  so  stolid  and  im- 
passive that  it  is  hard  to  arouse  his  wrath. 
He  will  bear  insults  without  a  murmur  for 
a  long  time,  but  in  the  end  he  will  be  stung 
into  madness  and  he  will  give  force  to  all 
his  pent  up  fires  of  hate  that  have  slumbered 
like  a  volcano.  He  may  wait  long  without 
having  punished  his  oppressor,  but  he  will 
bide  his  time.  So  it  was  with  the  Boxers  in 
China  whose  story  is  so  painfully  fresh  in 
the  memories  of  the  great  legations  of  the 
world  in  Pekin. 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  153 

The  men  and  women  of  Chinatown  dress 
very  nearly  like  each  other;  though  you  do 
not  meet  many  women.  The  Chinaman 
wears  a  blouse  of  blue  cotton  material  or 
other  cheap,  manufactured  goods.  This  is 
without  a  collar,  and  is  usually  hooked  over 
the  breast.  There  are  no  buttons.  Wealthy 
Chinamen,  and  there  are  many  such,  indulge 
in  richer  garments.  As  a  rule  they  have 
adopted  the  American  felt  hat  of  a  brownish 
colour.  The  shoe  has  the  invariable  wooden 
sole  with  uppers  of  cotton  or  some  kind  of 
ordinary  cloth.  The  hair  is  the  object  of 
their  chief  attention,  however,  in  the  mak- 
ing up  of  their  toilet.  It  is  worn  in  a  queue 
or  pigtail  fashion  as  it  is  commonly  styled. 
It  is  their  glory,  however,  this  long,  black, 
glossy  braid.  It  is  the  Chinaman's  distin- 
guishing badge.  It  gives  him  dignity  in 
the  presence  of  his  countrymen.  If  cut  off 
he  feels  dishonoured.  He  can  never  go  back 
to  the  home  of  his  ancestors,  but  must  re- 
main in  exile.  He  wears  this  mark  of  his 
nationality  either  hanging  down  his  back  or 
else  coiled  about  the  head.  When  at  work 
the  latter  style  is  preferred,  as  it  is  then  out 


154       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

of  the  way  of  his  movements.  Some  of  the 
men  whom  you  meet  have  fine  intellectual 
heads.  The  merchants  and  scholars  whom 
I  saw  answer  to  this  description.  As  a  rule 
they  can  all  read  and  write.  They  have  a 
love  of  knowledge  to  a  certain  point,  and  a 
book  is  prized  by  them.  The  great  desire 
of  the  Chinamen  who  reach  our  shores  is  to 
learn  the  English  language.  They  know  it 
gives  them  an  advantage.  It  is  the  avenue 
to  success.  Sometimes  they  will  become 
members  of  an  American  Mission  or  Bible- 
class  in  order  to  learn  the  language.  They 
still,  however,  have  their  mental  reserva- 
tions with  regard  to  their  native  Joss-houses 
and  worship.  But  they  are  not  singular  in 
this  respect.  Mohammedans  and  Jews  in 
the  East  allow  their  children  to  attend 
schools  where  English  is  taught,  because 
with  the  knowledge  of  this  they  can  the 
more  readily  find  employment  among  tour- 
ists and  in  places  of  exchange.  This  is  par- 
ticularly true  in  Egypt  and  in  Syria.  But 
the  Chinaman  in  his  attempt  to  learn  the 
Anglo-Saxon  tongue  finds  great  difficulties. 
Very    many    speak    only    what    is    called 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  155 

"  Pidgin  "  or  "  Pigeon  "  English,  that  is 
Business  English.  Business  on  the  lips  of 
the  new  learner  becomes  "  Pidgin."  They 
like  to  end  a  word  with  ee  as  "  muchee,"  and 
they  find  it  next  to  impossible  to  frame  the 
letter  R.  For  example  the  word  rice  be- 
comes lice  in  a  Chinaman's  mouth,  and  a 
Christian  is  a  Chlistian,  while  an  American 
is  turned  into  an  Amelican.  Of  course  this 
does  not  apply  to  the  educated  Chinaman 
who  is  polished  and  gifted  in  speech  as  is 
the  case  with  any  well-trained  Chinese 
clergyman  or  such  as  minister  Wu  Ting- 
Fang  in  Washington. 

All  debts  among  the  Chinese  are  paid  once 
a  year,  that  is  when  their  New  Year  comes 
around  in  our  month  of  February.  There 
are  three  ways  in  which  they  may  cancel 
their  debts.  First,  they  pay  them  in  money, 
if  they  are  able,  when  accounts  are  cast  up 
between  creditor  and  debtor.  If  in  the  sec- 
ond place  they  are  unable  to  pay  what  they 
owe  they  assign  all  their  goods  and  effects 
to  their  creditors,  and  then  the  debtor  gets 
a  clean  bill  and  so  starts  out  anew  with  a 
clear  conscience  for  another  year.     This  in 


156        BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

few  words  is  the  Chinese  "  Bankrupt  Law." 
But,  in  the  third  place,  if  a  man  has  no  as- 
sets, if  he  be  entirely  impoverished,  and  can- 
not pay  his  debts,  he  considers  it  a  matter  of 
honour  to  kill  himself.  Death  pays  all  debts 
for  him,  settles  all  scores,  and  he  is  not 
looked  upon  with  aversion  or  execrated. 
Even  Chinese  women  have  resorted  to  this 
extreme  method  of  settling  their  accounts. 
But  what  of  their  settlement  with  their 
Maker  who  gave  them  life,  who  holds  all 
men  responsible  for  that  gift,  who  expects 
us  to  use  the  boon  aright?  A  Chinaman 
does  not  value  life  with  the  same  feeling  and 
estimate  as  an  Anglo-Saxon.  Should  he 
fail  in  any  great  purpose,  should  he  meet 
with  defeat  in  some  cherished  plan,  he  will 
seek  refuge  in  the  bosom  of  the  grave;  he 
will  voluntarily  return  to  his  ancestors 
whom  he  has  worshipped  as  gods.  In  the 
late  war  between  China  and  Japan,  in  which 
China  was  vanquished,  some  of  her  generals 
committed  suicide.  It  presents,  alas,  a  de- 
generate side  of  human  nature.  It  is  most 
pathetic.  Better  far  to  live  under  the  smart 
of  defeat  and  bear  its  shame,  carry  the  cross, 


CHINAMEN  OF  SAN  FRANCISCO  157 

endure  the  stings  of  conscience,  and  meet 
the  frowns  of  the  world,  than  flee  from  the 
path  of  duty,  than  dishonour  our  manhood. 
The  greatest  victory  is  to  conquer  one's 
proud  heart,  and  to  suffer,  and  do  God's 
will.  The  teachings  of  Christ  show  us  the 
value  of  life,  tell  us  how  to  live,  how  to  die, 
how  to  win  the  divine  approbation.  To 
Him  we  bow  and  not  to  Confucius. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A    CHINESE    NEWSPAPER,    LITTLE    FEET,    AND 
AN  OPIUM  JOINT 

In  Chinatown — A  Chinese  Editor — His  Views  of 
Chinese  Life — A  Daily  Paper  and  the  Way  in  Which 
it  is  Printed — A  Night  School — The  Mission  of  the 
English  Language — A  Widow  and  Her  Children — 
A  Pair  of  Small  Shoes — Binding  of  the  Feet  and 
Custom — Mrs.  Wu  Ting-Fang  on  Small  Feet — 
Maimed  and  Veiled  Women — The  Shulamite's 
Feet — An  Opium-joint — A  Wretched  Chinaman — 
Fascination  of  Opium — History  and  Cultivation  of 
the  Poppy — The  East  India  Company  and  the 
Opium  War — An  Opium  Farmer — How  the  Old 
Man  Smoked — De  Quincey  and  His  Experiences — 
"  I  Will  Sleep  No  More." 

As  my  guide  and  1  went  forth  to  visit  the 
places  of  interest  in  Chinatown,  we  directed 
our  steps  first  of  all  to  the  Chinese  news- 
paper office.  This  is  located  at  No.  804  Sac- 
ramento street,  corner  of  Dupont  street.  On 
being  ushered  in  I  met  with  a  cordial  wel- 
come from  the  managing  editor,  Mr.  Ng  Poon 
Chew,  who,  before  I  bade  him  good-bye,  ex- 
158 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  159 

changed  cards  with  me.  He,  I  learned,  is  a 
Christian  minister  and  is  the  pastor  of  a 
Chinese  church  in  Los  Angeles.  His  literary 
attainments  and  business  capacity  peculiarly 
fit  him  for  his  work  on  the  Chinese  paper, 
and  he  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  Chinamen 
generally.  He  is  a  man  about  four  feet  five 
inches  in  stature,  and  possibly  forty  years 
old.  It  is  hard,  however,  to  tell  a  China- 
man's age,  and  so  he  may  be  five  or  ten  years 
older.  He  is  what  you  would  call  a  hand- 
some man,  with  a  fine  head  and  a  beaming 
countenance.  He  showed  great  warmth  in 
his  greeting — and  this  was  the  more  remark- 
able as  the  Chinaman  is  generally  cool  and 
impassive.  He  was  dressed  in  the  Chinese 
fashion  with  the  traditional  queue  hanging 
down  behind.  He  presented  altogether  a  stri- 
king appearance,  and  you  would  single  him 
out  from  a  crowd  as  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  cultivation  and  ability.  He  talked 
English  fluently,  and  it  was  a  pleasure  to 
listen  to  him.  He  has  well  defined  views 
regarding  China  and  other  countries.  When 
questioned  about  the  Flowery  Kingdom,  he 
said  that  the  people  were  very  conservative, 


160       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

that  they  do  not  wish  for  change,  and  that 
Chinese  women  dress  as  they  did  thousands 
of  years  ago.  He  remarked,  however,  that 
there  is  a  younger  generation  of  Chinamen 
who  long  for  a  change  and  for  reform  in 
methods,  I  suppose  after  the  manner  of  the 
so-called  "  Young  Turks  "  in  the  Sultan's 
dominions.  They  would  like  the  improve- 
ments of  European  and  American  life,  and 
would  shake  off  the  trammels  of  the  past  to 
a  large  extent,  just  as  Japan  has  shaken  off 
the  sleep  of  centuries  and  is  marching  to- 
wards greatness  among  the  strong  nations  of 
the  world.  With  the  modern  appliances  and 
advances  in  civilisation  and  armies  well 
drilled  like  those  of  England  or  the  United 
States  of  America,  and  with  great  war-ships 
well  manned,  they  would  be  able  to  meet  the 
world  and  to  defend  themselves  and  repel 
every  invader  from  their  country.  He  says 
the  Chinese  have  good  memories,  that  they 
will  never  forget  the  manner  in  which  opium 
came  to  them,  and  the  opium  war  of  1839. 
When  he  was  a  child  he  was  taught  to  pray 
to  a  wooden  god,  and  he  had  to  rise  as  early 
as  3  :  30  a.  m.  to  go  to  school  to  study  the 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  161 

teachings  of  Confucius.  As  the  custom  is 
to  go  so  early  in  the  morning  to  school,  the 
children  sometimes  drop  to  sleep  by  the  way 
as  they  are  hastening  on.  Chinamen  will 
tell  you  that  they  have  the  religion  which  is 
best  for  them.  This  is  the  doctrine  of  Con- 
fucius ;  but  Confucius,  while  a  great  scholar, 
was  not  a  saint.  He  taught  men  "  to  im- 
prove their  pocket,"  but  did  not  teach  them 
much  about  their  soul.  In  order  to  see  the 
real  effect  of  the  teachings  of  Confucius,  you 
must  go  to  China.  Confucius  may  make 
men  whom  you  may  admire,  but  he  cannot 
make  men  whom  you  can  respect.  The  re- 
ligion of  Confucius  is  dreary  and  is  lacking 
in  the  warmth  and  blessing  which  come  from 
a  belief  in  the  Bible. 

It  is  most  certainly  refreshing  to  hear 
this  learned  Chinaman  talking  and  giving  his 
impressions  and  opinions  about  matters  of 
such  vital  importance.  Ng  Poon  Chew,  at 
my  request,  gave  me  the  business  card  of  the 
newspaper.  This  states  that  the  paper,  which 
is  published  daily  in  Chinese,  is  called 
"  Chung  Sai  Yat  Po,"  and  that  it  has  the 
largest  circulation  of  any  Chinese  paper  pub- 


1 62       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

lished  outside  of  the  Chinese  Empire.  The 
card  further  tells  us  that  "  this  paper  is  the 
organ  of  the  commercial  element  in  America 
and  is  the  best  medium  for  Chinese  trade." 
In  addition  to  the  daily  issue  of  the  news- 
paper, "  English  and  Chinese  Job  Printing  " 
is  done  in  the  office.  The  work  of  interpret- 
ing the  English  and  Chinese  languages  is 
carried  on  here.  Mr.  Ng  Poon  Chew  spoke 
with  evident  pride  about  his  paper,  and  in- 
formed me  that  he  gave  a  daily  account  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  General  Convention, 
then  in  session  in  Trinity  Church,  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  the  "  Chung  S'ai  Yat  Po." 

The  editing  of  a  Chinese  newspaper  is  no 
easy  matter.  The  printing  of  the  paper  is 
difficult  and  requires  great  skill  and  patience. 
There  are,  for  example,  forty  thousand  word- 
signs,  all  different,  in  the  Chinese  language, 
and  to  represent  these  signs  there  must  be 
separate,  movable  type-pieces.  It  is  said  that 
it  takes  a  long  period  of  time  to  distribute  the 
type  and  lay  out  "  the  case."  The  type- 
setter must  know  the  word  by  sight  to  tell  its 
meaning,  otherwise  he  will  make  serious 
blunders.     Then  it  is  a  hard  matter  to  find 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  163 

intelligent  typesetters.  The  editor,  too,  must 
be  a  man  of  business.  The  paper  is  watched 
by  spies  of  the  Chinese  Government,  and  if 
the  editor  expresses  himself  in  any  manner 
antagonistic  to  the  Emperor  or  the  Dowager 
Empress  or  any  of  the  viceroys  of  the  prov- 
inces, his  head  would  be  cut  off  if  he  ever 
ventured  to  set  foot  in  China.  There  is 
another  obstacle  in  the  way  of  a  Chinese 
newspaper  of  liberal  views,  like  the  "  Chung 
Sai  Yat  Po."  It  cannot  get  its  type  from 
China,  as  the  Government  is  opposed  to  every 
reform  paper.  The  type  for  such  a  journal 
is  cast  in  a  Japanese  foundry  in  Yokohama. 
It  is  said  that  about  ten  thousand  word-signs 
are  used  in  the  printing  of  the  newspaper. 
The  type-case  is  usually  long,  for  the  purpose 
of  allowing  all  the  type-pieces  to  be  spread 
out.  The  type  runs  up  and  down  in  a  col- 
umn, and  you  read  from  right  to  left  as  in 
Hebrew  or  other  Shemitic  languages.  The 
characters  are  as  old  in  form  as  the  days  of 
Confucius.  The  "  Chung  Sai  Yat  Po  "  has 
a  very  large  circulation  and  finds  its  way  to 
the  islands  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  into 
China. 


1 64       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

From  the  newspaper  office  we  wended  our 
way  to  a  little  Baptist  mission  chapel  for  the 
Chinese.  There  were  about  forty  persons 
congregated  here,  among  them  some  ten  or 
twelve  Americans  who  were  teaching  the 
Chinese  the  English  language.  This  night 
school  is  popular  with  young,  ambitious 
Chinamen,  for  when  they  learn  our  language 
it  is  much  easier  for  them  to  obtain  work  in 
stores  and  offices,  and  even  as  house  serv- 
ants. The  books  used  had  the  Chinese  words 
on  one  page  and  the  English  sentences  op- 
posite. Sometimes  converts  to  Christianity 
are  made  through  the  medium  of  the  night 
school,  but  it  takes  time  and  patience  to  win 
a  Chinaman  from  the  religion  of  Confucius. 
It  is  worth  the  labour,  however.  The  difficul- 
ties in  the  mastery  of  English  are  a  great 
barrier  to  conversions.  Nevertheless  they 
do  occur.  A  Chinaman  is  readily  reached 
through  his  own  language.  Hence  the  im- 
portance of  raising  up  native  teachers  of  the 
Gospel  who  can  speak  to  the  hearts  as  well 
as  to  the  understanding  of  their  countrymen. 
As  we  observed  in  the  foregoing  chapter, 
in  the  Orient,  as  in  Syria  and  Egypt,  Jews 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  165 

and  Mohammedans  sometimes  allow  their 
children  to  attend  the  English  schools,  and 
to  a  large  extent  from  a  worldly  motive. 
The  Syrian  or  Arab  who  can  speak  English 
is  in  demand  as  a  dragoman,  an  accountant, 
an  office  clerk  in  the  bazaar,  or  a  camp-serv- 
ant or  boatman.  Indeed  a  great  revolution 
is  now  taking  place  all  through  the  East. 
Nearly  all  the  young  Egyptians  can  talk 
English,  and  this  is  the  first  step  towards 
their  conversion  to  the  faith  of  the  Gospel. 
When  they  are  able  to  read  the  books  of  the 
Christians  in  the  English,  they  are  led  to 
look  favourably  on  the  Church.  They  catch 
the  spirit  of  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  from  the 
Christian  tourist.  They  lose  the  narrowness 
and  bigotry  which  the  mosque  or  the  syna- 
gogue fosters,  and  in  time  they  examine  the 
claims  of  a  religion  which  has  built  up  the 
great  nations  of  Europe  and  America.  The 
future  has  in  store  great  developments  for 
the  Church  in  Palestine  and  the  old  land  of 
the  Pharaohs  through  the  agency  of  the  Eng- 
lish schools,  and  I  believe  the  readiest  way  in 
which  to  convert  the  Chinese  people,  whether 
in  Chinatown  in  San  Francisco,  or  in  China 


166       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

itself,  is  to  teach  them  our  language  and  give 
them  access  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  our 
noble  tongue.  Our  Church  schools  in  China 
are  doing  a  great  work  in  this  respect.  So 
is  St.  John's  College  in  Shanghai.  They 
should  all  be  liberally  supported  with  offer- 
ings from  America,  and  what  we  sow  in  this 
generation  will  be  reaped  in  the  next,  a  splen- 
did harvest  for  Christ  and  His  Church! 

After  leaving  the  night  school  our  guide 
conducted  us  up  narrow  stairs  to  the  rooms 
occupied  by  a  Chinese  woman.  She  was  a 
widow  with  four  children,  daughters,  and 
rather  petite  in  form,  and  lacking  the  physi- 
cal development  and  beauty  of  the  Caucasian 
race.  They  seemed  shy  and  timid,  for  Chi- 
nese women  are  not  accustomed  to  the  so- 
ciety of  men.  In  fact  there  is  among  them 
no  such  home-life  as  we  are  familiar  with. 
Thev  were  dressed  in  a  measure  after  the 
fashion  of  our  girls,  and  had  long,  black  hair. 
The  mother  said  a  few  sentences  in  broken 
English,  and  welcomed  us  with  an  air  of 
sincerity,  though  not  a  little  embarrassed. 
Slie  was  a  woman  of  about  forty  years,  and 
from   the  expression   of  her   face  had  evi- 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  167 

dently  met  with  trials.  Brought  over  to  San 
Francisco  from  Canton  when  a  young  girl, 
she  had  married  Shan  Tong  with  all  the 
ceremony  and  merry-making  which  charac- 
terise a  Chinese  wedding,  with  its  processions 
and  feasting  and  the  noise  of  its  firecrackers; 
but  some  four  or  five  years  ago  death  claimed 
her  husband,  and  she  was  left  to  do  battle 
alone,  while  he  was  laid  to  rest  in  the 
Chinese  burying-ground  at  the  west  end  of 
Laurel  Hill  Cemetery.  But  she  did  not  suf- 
fer from  want,  for  Chinamen  are  kind  to  the 
needy  of  their  own  race.  Among  the  objects 
which  excited  our  curiosity  were  the  tiny 
shoes  of  the  small-footed  woman.  These 
were  not  quite  three  inches  in  length,  and 
looked  as  if  they  were  more  suited  for  a 
doll's  feet  than  for  a  full  grown  woman's. 
Yes,  here  was  the  evidence  of  a  barbarous 
custom  which  deprives  a  human  being  of  one 
of  nature's  good  gifts,  so  necessary  to  our 
comfort  and  happiness.  Think  what  you 
would  be,  if,  through  infirmity,  you  were 
not  at  liberty  to  go  hither  and  thither  at  will 
like  the  young  hart  or  gazelle!  We  grieve 
naturally  if  our  children's  feet  are  deformed 


1 68       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

or  misshapen  at  birth,  but  what  a  crime  it  is 
to  destroy  the  form  and  strength  of  the  foot 
as  God  has  made  it!  It  is  true  that  the 
Manchu  women  in  China  rejoice  in  the  feet 
which  the  beneficent  Creator  has  given  them. 
The  Dowager  Empress — of  whom  we  have 
read  so  much  of  late,  and  who  rules  China 
with  an  iron  rod,  has  feet  like  any  other 
woman;  but  millions  of  her  countrywomen 
have  been  robbed  of  nature's  endowment 
through  a  foolish  and  wicked  custom  which 
has  prevailed  in  China  from  time  imme- 
morial. The  feet  are  bound  when  the  child 
is  born,  and  they  are  never  allowed  to  grow 
as  God  designed,  as  the  flower  expands  into 
beauty  from  the  bud.  Chinese  women  realise 
that  it  is  foolish,  that  it  is  a  deformity,  but 
it  is  the  "  custom,"  and  custom  prevails.  It 
is  like  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians 
which  alter  not.  Women  are  powerless  under 
it.  It  is  in  vain  to  a  large  extent  that  they 
oppose  it.  There  is  in  China  an  Anti-foot- 
binding  League,  which  receives  the  support 
of  men  of  prominence.  Even  centuries  ago 
imperial  edicts  were  issued  against  it,  but 
custom  still  rules.     It  was  Montaigne  who  de- 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  169 

clared  that  "  custom  "  ought  to  be  followed 
simply  because  it  is  custom.  A  poor  reason 
indeed.  There  should  be  a  better  argument 
for  the  doing  of  what  is  contrary  to  reason 
and  nature.  Nature  is  a  wise  mother,  and  she 
bestows  on  us  no  member  of  the  body  that  is 
unnecessary.  The  thought  of  her  fostering 
care  was  well  expressed  by  the  old  Greeks 
who  lived  an  out-door  life,  in  their  personifi- 
cation of  Mother  Earth  under  the  creation 
of  their  Demeter,  perfect  in  form  and  beauti- 
ful in  expression  and  noble  in  action.  This 
is  far  above  the  conceptions  of  nature  or  of  a 
presiding  genius  over  our  lives,  taking  into 
account  social  order  and  marriage  vows, 
which  we  find  in  Chinese  literature  or  my- 
thology. It  is  not  difficult  to  perceive  the 
reason  why  the  Greeks,  who  rule  the  realms 
of  philosophy  and  art  and  literature  to-day, 
after  the  lapse  of  many  centuries,  are  the 
superior  people.  Well  does  that  master-mind, 
Shakespeare,  characterise  evil  custom : 

"  That  monster,  custom,  who  all  sense  doth  eat, 
Of  habits  devil." 

But  a  better  day  is  coming  for  Chinese 
women.     Wherever  Christianity  has  touched 


i  jo       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

them  in  the  past  they  have  been  uplifted  and 
benefited.  The  sun  seems  now  to  rise  in 
greater  effulgence  on  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Yellow  Dragon.  The  wretched  custom  of 
dwarfing  and  destroying  the  feet  of  a  child 
whose  misfortune,  according  to  Confucius, 
it  is  to  be  born  a  female,  is  giving  way  under 
pressure  from  contact  with  the  enlightened 
nations  of  the  world.  The  teachings  of  the 
Christian  Church  are  having  their  salutary 
effect  and  Chinamen  are  beginning  to  learn 
the  value  of  a  woman's  life  from  the  Biblical 
standpoint,  and  the  daughters  of  the  Flowery 
Kingdom  will,  as  time  goes  on,  become  more 
and  more  like  the  polished  corners  of  the 
Temple,  or  the  Caryatides  supporting  the 
entablature  of  the  Erechtheum  at  Athens.  It 
is  Madame  \Yu  Ting-Fang,  wife  of  the  Chi- 
nese Minister  at  Washington,  who  has  re- 
cently returned  from  a  visit  to  her  old  home, 
who  says :  "  The  first  penetrating  influence 
of  exterior  civilisation  on  the  customs  of  my 
country  has  touched  the  conditions  of 
women.  The  emancipation  of  woman  in 
China  means,  first  of  all,  the  liberation  of 
her  feet,  and  this  is  coming.     Indeed,  it  has 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  171 

already  come  in  a  measure,  for  the  style  in 
feet  has  changed.  Wee  bits  of  feet,  those 
no  longer  than  an  infant's,  are  no  longer  the 
fashion.  When  I  went  back  home  I  found 
that  the  rigid  binding  and  forcing  back  of 
the  feet  was  largely  a  thing  of  the  past. 
China,  with  other  nations,  has  come  to  re- 
gard that  practice  as  barbarous,  but  the  small 
feet,  those  that  enable  a  woman  to  walk  a 
little  and  do  not  inconvenience  her  in  getting 
about  the  house,  are  still  favoured  by  the 
Chinese  ladies." 

The  custom  of  binding  and  destroying  the 
feet,  no  doubt,  arose  from  the  low  views  en- 
tained  by  Chinese  sages  concerning 
woman,  and  from  a  lack  of  confidence  in  her 
sense  of  honour  and  virtue.  She  must  be 
maimed  so  that  she  cannot  go  about  at  will, 
so  she  shall  be  completely  under  the  eye  of 
her  husband,  held  as  it  were  in  fetters.  It 
is  a  sad  comment  on  Chinese  domestic  moral- 
ity, it  fosters  the  very  evil  it  seeks  to  cure, 
it  destroys  all  home  life  in  the  best  sense. 
The  veiled  women  of  the  East  are  very  much 
in  the  same  position.  If  a  stranger,  out  of 
curiosity  or  by  accident,  look  on  the  face  of  a 


172       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Mohammedan  wife,  it  might  lead  to  her  re- 
pudiation by  her  jealous  husband,  or  the 
offender  might  be  punished  for  his  innocent 
glance.  The  writer  recalls  how  at  Hebron, 
in  Palestine,  he  was  cautioned  by  the  drago- 
man, when  going  up  a  narrow  street  to  the 
Mosque  of  Machpelah,  where  he  had  to  pass 
veiled  women,  not  to  look  at  them  or  to  seem 
to  notice  them,  as  the  men  were  very  fanat- 
ical and  might  do  violence  to  an  unwary 
tourist.  The  Chinese  women  of  small  feet, 
or  rather  no  feet  at  all,  walk,  or  attempt  to 
walk,  in  a  peculiar  way.  It  is  as  if  one  were 
on  stilts.  The  feet  are  nothing  but  stumps, 
while  the  ankles  are  large,  almost  unnatural 
in  their  development.  It  is  indeed  a  great 
deformity.  The  feet  are  shrunken  to  less 
size  than  an  infant's;  but  they  have  not  the 
beauty  of  a  baby's  feet,  which  have  in  them 
great  possibilities  and  a  world  of  suggestion 
and  romance  and  poetry.  If  the  Chinese  cus- 
tom had  prevailed  among  the  ancient  He- 
brew people,  think  you  that  King  Solomon 
in  singing  of  the  graces  of  the  Shulamite, 
who  represents  the  Church  mystically,  would 
ever  have  exclaimed, — "  How  beautiful  are 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  173 

thy  feet  with  shoes,  O  prince's  daughter!" 
We  should  have  lost,  moreover,  much  that  is 
noble  in  art,  and  the  poetic  creations  of 
Greek  sculptors  would  never  have  delighted 
the  eye  nor  enchained  the  fancy. 

In  our  perambulations  about  Chinatown, 
we  must  next  visit  an  opium-joint.  This 
mysterious  place  was  situated  in  a  long,  ram- 
bling building  through  which  we  had  to 
move  cautiously  so  as  not  to  stumble  into 
some  pit  or  dangerous  hole  or  trap-door. 
Here  were  no  electric  lights  to  drive  away 
the  gloom,  here  no  gas-jets  to  show  us  where 
we  were  treading,  nothing  but  an  occasional 
lamp  dimly  burning.  Yet  we  went  on  as  if 
drawn  by  a  magic  spell.  At  last  we  were 
ushered  into  a  room  poorly  furnished.  It  was 
not  more  than  twelve  feet  square,  and  in  the 
corner  was  an  apology  for  a  bed.  On  this 
was  stretched  an  old  man  whose  face  was 
sunken,  whose  eyes  were  lusterless,  whose 
hand  was  long  and  thin  and  bony,  and  whose 
voice  was  attenuated  and  pitched  in  a  falsetto 
key.  The  guide  said  that  this  old  Chinaman 
was  sixty-eight  years  of  age,  and  that  he  had 
had  a  life  of  varied  experience.     He  was  a 


174       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

miner  by  profession,  but  had  spent  all  his 
earnings  long  ago,  and  was  now  an  object  of 
charity  as  well  as  of  pity.  Indeed  he  was  the 
very  embodiment  of  misery,  a  wretched, 
woebegone,  human  being!  He  had  lost  one 
arm  in  an  accident  during  his  mining  days. 
Chinamen  in  the  thirst  for  gold  had  mining 
claims  as  well  as  Anglo-Saxons.  This  de- 
sire for  the  precious  metal  seems  to  be  uni- 
versal. All  men  more  or  less  love  gold ;  and 
for  its  acquisition  they  will  undergo  great 
hardship,  face  peril,  risk  their  lives.  This 
aged  Chinaman  for  whom  there  was  no  fu- 
ture except  to  join  his  ancestors  in  another 
life,  was  now  a  pauper  notwithstanding  all 
his  quest  for  the  treasures  of  the  mines;  and 
his  chief  solace,  if  it  be  comfort  indeed  to 
have  the  senses  benumbed  periodically,  or 
daily,  and  then  wake  up  to  the  consciousness 
of  loss  and  with  a  feeling  of  despair  betimes, 
was  in  his  opium  pipe,  which  he  smoked 
fifty  times  a  day  at  the  cost  of  half  a  dollar, 
the  offering  of  charity,  the  dole  received  from 
his  pitying  countrymen  or  the  interested  trav- 
eller who  might  come  to  his  forlorn  abode. 
But  what  a  fascination  the  opium  drug  has 


AN  OPIUM-JOINT  175 

for  the  Chinaman,  and  not  for  him  alone, 
but  for  children  of  other  races — for  men  and 
women  who,  when  under  its  spell,  will  sell 
honour  and  sacrifice  all  that  is  dear  in  life, 
and  even  forego  the  prospect  and  the  blessed 
hope  of  entering  at  last  into  the  bliss  of  the 
heavenly  world !  But  what  is  opium,  what 
its  parentage  and  history?  The  Greeks  will 
tell  you  it  is  their  opion  or  opos,  the  juice  of 
the  poppy,  and  the  botanist  will  point  out 
the  magic  flower  for  you  as  the  Papaver 
Somniferum,  whose  home  was  originally  in 
the  north  of  Europe  and  in  Western  Asia; 
but  now,  just  as  the  tribes  of  the  earth  have 
spread  out  into  many  lands,  so  has  the  poppy 
which  has  brought  much  misery  as  well  as 
blessing  to  men,  found  its  way  into  various 
quarters  of  the  globe,  particularly  those 
countries  which  are  favoured  with  sunny 
skies.  It  is  cultivated  in  Turkey,  India,  Persia, 
Egypt,  Algeria  and  Australia,  as  well  as  in 
China.  I  now  recall  vividly  the  beautiful 
poppy  fields  at  Assiut,  Esneh  and  Kenneh, 
by  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  in  which  such  sub- 
tle powers  were  sleeping  potent  for  ill  or 
good  as  employed  by  man  for  deadening  his 


176       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

faculties  or  soothing  pain  in  reasonable  meas- 
ure. These  flowers  were  of  the  reddish 
kind.  In  China  they  have  the  white,  red  and 
purple  varieties,  which,  as  you  gaze  on  them, 
seem  to  set  the  fields  aglow  with  fire  and 
attract  your  gaze  as  if  you  were  enchained 
to  the  spot  by  an  unseen  power.  The  seeds 
are  sown  in  November  and  December,  in 
rows  which  are  eighteen  inches  apart,  and 
four-fifths  of  the  opium  used  in  China  is  the 
home-product,  though  it  was  not  so  formerly. 
In  March  or  April  the  poppy  flowers  accord- 
ing to  the  climate,  the  soil,  and  the  location. 
The  opium  is  garnered  in  April  or  May,  and 
prepared  for  the  market.  The  Chinese  mer- 
chant values  most  of  all  the  Shense  drug, 
while  the  Ynnan  and  the  Szechuen  drugs 
take  next  rank.  The  opium  is  generally 
made  into  flat  cakes  and  wrapped  up  in  folds 
of  white  paper.  It  is  said  that  it  was  intro- 
duced into  China  in  the  reign  of  Taitsu,  be- 
tween the  years  a.  d.  1280  and  1295;  but 
it  is  worthy  of  note  that  up  to  the  year  1736 
it  was  imported  only  in  small  quantities  and 
employed  simply  for  its  medicinal  properties, 
as  a  cure  for  diarrhoea,  dysentery,  and  fevers, 


AN  OPIUM-JOINT  177 

hemorrhage  and  other  ills.  It  was  in  the 
year  1757  that  the  monopoly  of  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  poppy  in  India  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  East  India  Company  through 
the  victory  of  Lord  Clive  over  the  Great 
Mogul  of  Bengal  at  Plassey;  and  from  this 
time  the  importation  of  the  drug  into  China 
became  a  matter  of  great  profit  financially. 
In  1773  the  whole  quantity  imported  was 
only  two  hundred  chests.  In  1776  it  had 
increased  to  one  thousand  chests,  while  in 
1790  it  leaped  up  to  four  thousand  and  fifty- 
four  chests.  The  Chinese  Emperor,  Keak- 
ing,  becoming  alarmed  at  its  growing  use 
and  its  pernicious  effect  when  eaten  or 
smoked,  forbade  its  importation,  and  passed 
laws  punishing  persons  who  made  use  of  it 
otherwise  than  medicinally,  and  the  extreme 
penalty  was  sometimes  transportation,  and 
sometimes  death.  Yet  the  trade  increased, 
and  in  the  decade  between  1820  and  1830 
the  importation  was  as  high  as  sixteen  thou- 
sand, eight  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
chests.  The  evil  became  so  great  that  in  1839 
a  royal  proclamation  was  put  forth  threaten- 
ing English  opium  ships  with  confiscation  if 


178       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

they  did  not  keep  out  of  Chinese  waters. 
This  was  not  heeded,  and  then  Lin,  the  Chi- 
nese Commissioner,  gave  orders  to  destroy 
twenty  thousand,  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  chests  of  opium,  each  containing-  149 
1-3  pounds,  the  valuation  of  which  was  $10,- 
000,000.  Still  the  work  of  smuggling  went 
on  and  the  result  was  what  is  known  as  the 
Opium  War,  which  was  ended  in  1842  by 
the  treaty  of  Nanking.  China  was  forced 
by  Great  Britain  to  pay  $21,000,000  indem- 
nity, to  cede  in  perpetuity  to  England  the 
city  of  Hong  Kong,  and  to  give  free  access 
to  British  ships  entering  the  ports  of  Can- 
ton, Amoy,  Foochoofoo,  Ningpo  and  Shang- 
hai. The  importation  of  opium  from  India 
is  still  carried  on — but  the  quantity  is  not  so 
great  as  formerly,  owing  to  the  cultivation 
of  the  plant  in  China.  The  Hong  Kong 
government  has  an  opium  farm,  for  which 
to-day  it  receives  a  rental  of  $15,500  per 
month.  The  farmer  sells  on  an  average  from 
eight  to  ten  tins  of  opium  daily,  the  tins 
being  worth  about  $150  each.  His  entire 
receipts  from  his  sales  of  the  drug  are  about 
$45,000  per  month.     This  opium  farmer  is 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  179 

well  known  to  be  the  largest  smuggler  of 
opium  into  China;  and  not  without  reason 
does  Lord  Charles  Beresford,  in  his  book 
"  The  Break-up  of  China,"  say :  "  Thus,  in- 
directly the  Hong  Kong  government  derives 
a  revenue  by  fostering  an  illegitimate  trade 
with  a  neighbouring  and  friendly  Power, 
which  cannot  be  said  to  redound  to  the  credit 
of  the  British  Government.  It  is  in  direct 
opposition  to  the  sentiments  and  tradition  of 
the  laws  of  the  British  Empire."  It  was 
here  in  Chinatown,  in  San  Francisco,  that 
I  was  brought  face  to  face  with  the  havoc 
that  is  made  through  the  opium  trade  and 
the  use  of  the  pernicious  drug  in  eating  and 
smoking.  I  was  told  that  Europeans  and 
Americans  sometimes  sought  the  opium- 
joints  for  the  purpose  of  indulgence  in  the 
vice  of  smoking.  Even  women  were  known 
to  make  use  of  it  in  this  way.  The  old  man 
whom  I  visited  was  lying  on  his  left  side, 
with  his  head  slightly  raised  on  a  hard  pil- 
low covered  with  faded  leather.  He  took  the 
pipe  in  his  right  hand,  the  other,  as  I  have 
already  said,  having  been  cut  off  in  the  mines. 
Then  he  laid  down  the  pipe  by  his  side  with 


180       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  stem  near  his  mouth.  The  next  move- 
ment was  to  take  a  kind  of  long  rod,  called 
a  dipper,  with  a  sharp  end  and  a  little  flat- 
tened. This  he  dipped  in  the  opium  which 
had  the  consistency  of  thick  molasses.  He 
twisted  the  dipper  round  and  then  held  the 
drop  which  adhered  to  it  over  the  lamp, 
which  was  near  him.  He  wound  the  dipper 
round  and  round  until  the  opium  was  roasted 
and  had  a  brown  colour.  He  then  thrust 
the  end  of  the  dipper  with  the  prepared  drug 
into  the  opening  of  the  pipe,  which  was 
somewhat  after  the  Turkish  style  with  its 
long  stem.  He  next  held  the  bowl  of  the 
pipe  over  the  lamp  until  the  opium  frizzled. 
Then  putting  the  stem  of  the  pipe  in  his 
mouth  he  inhaled  the  smoke,  and  almost  im- 
mediately exhaled  it  through  the  mouth  and 
nostrils.  While  smoking  he  removed  the 
opium,  going  through  the  same  process  as 
before,  and  it  all  took  about  fifteen  minutes. 
What  the  old  man's  feelings  were  he  did  not 
tell  us,  but  he  seemed  very  contented,  as  if 
then  he  cared  for  nothing,  as  if  he  had  no 
concern  for  the  world  and  its  trials.  But  one 
must  read  the  graphic  pages  of  Thomas  De 


AN  OPIUM- JOINT  181 

Quincey  in  his  "  Confessions  of  an  English 
Opium  Eater,"  in  order  to  know  what  are 
the  joys  and  what  the  torments  of  him  who 
is  addicted  to  the  use  of  the  pernicious  drug. 
It  was  while  De  Quincey  was  in  Oxford  that 
he  came  under  its  tyranny.  At  first  taken  to 
allay  neuralgic  pain,  and  then  resorted  to  as 
a  remedy  on  all  occasions  of  even  the  slight- 
est suffering,  it  wove  its  chain  around  him 
like  a  merciless  master  who  puts  his  servant 
in  bonds.  But  though  given  to  its  use  all 
his  life  afterwards,  in  later  years  he  took  it 
moderately.  Still  he  was  its  slave.  A  man 
of  marvellous  genius,  a  master  of  the  Eng- 
lish tongue,  he  had  not  full  mastery  of  his 
own  appetite;  and  one  of  such  talent,  bound 
Andromeda-like  to  the  rock  of  his  vice,  ready 
to  be  devoured  in  the  sea  of  his  perplexity 
by  what  is  worse  than  the  dragon  of  the 
story,  he  deserves  our  pity,  nay,  even  our 
tears.  He  tells  us  how  he  was  troubled  with 
tumultuous  dreams  and  visions,  how  he  was 
a  participant  in  battles,  strifes;  and  how 
agonies  seized  his  soul,  and  sudden  alarms 
came  upon  him,  and  tempests,  and  light  and 
darkness;   how  he  saw  forms  of  loved  ones 


1 82       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

who  vanished  in  a  moment;  how  he  heard 
"everlasting  farewells;"  and  sighs  as  if 
wrung  from  the  caves  of  hell  reverberated 
again  and  again  with  "  everlasting  fare- 
wells." "  And  I  awoke  in  struggles,  and 
cried  aloud,  "  I  will  sleep  no  more ! ' 


CHAPTER  IX 

MUSIC,  GAMBLING,   EATING,   THEATRE-GOING 

In  Chinatown — A  Musician's  Shop — A  Secret  So- 
ciety— Gambling  Houses — "The  Heathen  Chinee" 
— Fortune-telling — The  Knife  in  the  Fan-Case — A 
Boarding  House — A  Lesson  for  Landlords — A 
Kitchen — A  Goldsmith's  Shop — The  Restaurant — 
Origin  of  the  Tea-Plant — What  a  Chinaman  Eats 
— The  Tobacco  or  Opium  Pipe — A  Safe  with  Eight 
Locks — The  Theatre — Women  by  Themselves — 
The  Play — The  Stage — The  Actors — The  Orches- 
tra and  the  Music — The  Audience — A  Death  on 
the  Stage — The  Theatre  a  Gathering  Place — No 
Women  Actors — A  Wise  Provision — Temptations 
— Real  Acting — Men  the  Same  Everywhere. 

The  reader  will  now  accompany  us  to  a 
musician's  shop  in  our  wanderings  through 
Chinatown.  This  is  located  in  a  basement 
and  is  a  room  .about  fifteen  feet  wide  and 
some  twenty  feet  deep.  This  son  of  Jubal 
from  the  Flowery  Kingdom  was  about  fifty- 
five  years  old  and  a  very  good-natured  man. 
183 


1 84       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

He  received  us  with  a  smile,  and  when  he 
was  requested  by  the  guide  to  play  for  us  he 
sat  down  before  an  instrument  somewhat 
like  the  American  piano,  called  Yong  Chum. 
The  music  was  of  a  plaintive  character,  and 
was  lacking  in  the  melody  of  a  Broadwood 
or  a  Steinway.  Then  he  played  on  another 
instrument  which  resembled  a  bandore  or 
banjo  and  was  named  Sent  Yim.  After- 
wards he  took  up  a  Chinese  flute  and  played 
a  tune,  which  was  out  of  the  ordinary  and 
was  withal  of  a  cheerful  nature.  He  then 
showed  us  something  that  was  striking  and 
peculiar — a  Chinese  fiddle  with  two  strings. 
The  bow  strings  were  moved  beneath  the 
fiddle  strings.  The  music  was  by  no  means 
such  as  to  charm  one,  and  you  could  not  for 
a  moment  imagine  that  you  were  listening 
to  a  maestro  playing  on  a  Cremona.  The 
Chinese,  while  they  have  a  reputation  for 
philosophy  after  the  example  of  their  great 
men,  like  Confucius  and  Mencius,  and  while 
there  are  poets  of  merit  among  them  like 
Su  and  Lin,  yet  can  not  be  said  to  excel  in 
musical  composition  and  rendering.  The 
tune  with  which  our  Chinese  friend  sought 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  185 

to  entertain  us  on  his  fiddle  was,  "  A  Hot 
Time  in  the  Old  Town  To-night."  He 
thought  this  would  be  agreeable  to  our 
American  ears.  Meanwhile  I  glanced 
around  this  music-room  and  among  other 
things  I  saw,  and  which  interested  me,  were 
several  effigies  of  men,  characters  in  Chinese 
history.  Some  were  no  doubt  true  to  life 
while  others  were  caricatures  of  the  persons 
whom  they  represented.  It  might  be  styled 
an  Eden  Musee. 

Leaving  the  musician's,  after  giving  him 
a  suitable  fee  for  entertaining  us,  we  turned 
our  footsteps  towards  the  Chee  Rung  Tong. 
This  is  a  Chinese  secret  society.  The  Chi- 
nese are  wont  to  associate  themselves  to- 
gether, even  if  they  do  not  mingle  much 
with  men  of  other  nations.  They  have  their 
gatherings  for  social  purposes  and  for  im- 
provement and  pastime,  and,  like  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  and  the  Latin  races,  they  have  their 
mystic  signs  and  passwords.  Of  course  we 
were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  Chee  Kung 
Tong  Hall,  however  much  we  desired  to 
cross  its  mysterious  threshold.  The  door 
was  well  guarded,  and  Chinamen  passing  in 


1 86       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

had  to  give  assurance  that  they  were  entitled 
to  the  privilege.  On  the  night  when  the  de- 
tective from  Police  Headquarters  accom- 
panied us  we  made  an  attempt  to  enter  a 
Chinese  gambling  house.  The  entrance  even 
to  this  was  well  guarded;  although  the  sen- 
tinel unwittingly  left  the  door  open  for  a 
moment  as  a  Chinaman  wras  passing  in.  The 
detective  seeing  his  opportunity  went  in 
boldly  and  bade  us  to  follow  him.  In  a  few 
moments  all  was  confusion.  We  heard  hur- 
rying feet  in  the  adjoining  room,  and  then 
excited  men  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  pas- 
sage way  and  waved  their  arms  to  and  fro 
while  they  talked  rapidly  in  high  tones.  Out- 
side already  some  fifty  men  had  collected 
together,  and  these  were  also  talking  and 
gesticulating  wildly.  The  detective  then 
said  to  us  that  it  would  be  wise  to  retreat  and 
leave  the  place  lest  we  might  meet  with  vio- 
lence. We  did  so,  but  the  uproar  among 
the  Chinese  did  not  subside  for  some  time. 
We  pitied  the  poor  sentinel  who  had  allowed 
us  to  slip  in,  for  we  knew  that  he  wrould  be 
severely  punished  after  our  departure.  The 
Chinese  are  noted  for  their  gambling  pro- 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE   187 

pensities,  and  there  are  many  gambling 
houses  in  Chinatown.  This  vice  is  one  of 
their  great  pastimes,  and  whenever  they  are 
not  engaged  in  business  they  devote  them- 
selves either  to  gambling,  the  amusements 
of  the  theatre,  the  pleasures  of  the  restau- 
rant, or  the  seductive  charms  of  the  opium 
pipe. 

Later  in  my  saunterings  I  went  into  a 
kind  of  restaurant,  where  I  saw  a  number 
of  Chinese  men  and  boys  playing  cards  and 
dominoes  and  dice.  They  went  on  with  the 
games  as  if  they  were  oblivious  to  us.  I 
noticed  there  were  Chinese  coins  of  small 
value  on  the  tables,  and  some  of  the  players 
were  apparently  winning  while  others  were 
losing.  The  latter,  however,  gave  no  indi- 
cation that  they  were  in  the  least  degree  dis- 
appointed. Of  course,  as  a  rule  they  play 
after  their  own  fashion,  having  their  own 
games  and  methods.  Minister  Wu,  of 
Washington,  when  asked  recently  if  he  liked 
our  American  games,  replied  that  he  did  not 
understand  any  of  them.  No  doubt  this  is 
true  of  the  majority  of  Chinamen  in  the 
United  States.     In  thinking  of  the  Chinese 


1 88       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  gambling  one  always  recalls  Bret 
Harte's  "  Plain  Language  From  Truthful 
James  of  Table  Mountain,"  popularly 
known  as  "  The  Heathen  Chinee,"  one  of 
the  best  humorous  poems  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. You  can  fairly  see  the  merry  eyes 
of  the  author  of  the  "  Argonauts  of  '49  " 
dancing  with  pleasure  as  he  describes  the 
game  of  cards  between  "  Truthful  James,'* 
"  Bill  Nye  "  and  "  Ah  Sin." 

"  Which  we  had  a  small  game, 

And  Ah  Sin  took  a  hand; 
It  was  euchre :    the  same 

He  did  not  understand; 
But  he  smiled  as  he  sat  by  the  table 
With  a  smile  that  was  childlike  and  bland. 

"  Yet  the  cards  they  were  stacked 

In  a  way  that  I  grieve, 
And  my  feelings  were  shocked 

At  the  state  of  Nye's  sleeve, 
Which  was  stuffed  full  of  aces  and  bowers, 
And  the  same  with  intent  to  deceive. 

"  But  the  hands  that  were  played 
By  that  heathen  Chinee, 
And  the  points  that  he  made. 

Were  quite  frightful  to   see — 
Till  at  last  he  put  down  the  right  bower, 
Which  the  same  Nye  had  dealt  unto  me. 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  189 

"  Then  I  looked  up  at  Nye, 

And  he  gazed  upon  me : 
And  he  rose  with  a  sigh, 

And  said,  'Can  this  be? 
We  are  ruined  by  Chinee  cheap  labour ' — 
And  he  went  for  that  heathen  Chinee." 

There  are  all  kinds  of  jugglers  in  China- 
town and  among  them  are  numerous  fortune- 
tellers. This  kind  of  pastime  is  as  old  as 
the  human  race,  and  you  find  the  man  who 
undertakes  to  reveal  to  you  the  secrets  of 
the  future  among  all  peoples.  The  Orien- 
tals are  always  ready  to  listen  to  the  "  neby  " 
or  the  necromancer  or  the  fakir  or  the  wan- 
dering minstrel,  who  improvises  for  you  and 
sings  for  you  the  good  things  which  are  in 
store  for  you.  We  see  this  tendency  among 
our  own  people  who  would  have  their  des- 
tiny pointed  out  by  means  of  a  pack  of  cards, 
by  the  reading  of  the  palm  of  the  hand,  in 
the  grounds  in  the  tea-cup,  and  by  other 
signs.  It  was  with  some  interest  then  that 
we  glanced  at  the  mystic  words  and  signs 
which  adorned  the  entrance  to  Sam  Wong 
Yung's  fortune-teller's  place. 

Passing  on,  we  next  visited  a  hardware 
shop,    where   you    could    purchase    various 


190       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

kinds  of  Chinese  cutlery.  Among-  other 
things  that  attracted  my  attention  was  a 
simple-looking  Chinese  fan,  apparently 
folded  up.  On  examining  it  I  found  that 
inside  of  the  fan-case  was  a  sharp  knife  or 
blade  like  a  wide  dagger.  This  could  be  car- 
ried in  an  unsuspecting  manner  into  the 
midst  of  a  company  of  men,  and  in  a  mo- 
ment, if  you  had  in  your  breast  the  wicked 
spirit  of  revenge,  your  enemy  could  be  wel- 
tering in  his  life  blood  at  your  feet.  It  sug- 
gested all  kinds  of  tragedies,  and  no  doubt 
its  invention  had  behind  it  some  treacherous 
impulse.  .The  writer  ventured  to  purchase 
it,  but  he  hastens  to  announce  to  his  friends 
that  his  purposes  are  good  and  innocent. 
Though  in  the  same  category  as  the  sword 
or  dagger  hidden  in  a  walking-stick  or  a 
concealed  weapon,  this  bloodthirsty  knife 
will  repose  harmlessly  in  its  fan-case  like  a 
sleeping  babe  in  his  cradle. 

A  Chinese  boarding  house  next  claimed 
our  inspection.  It  was  rather  a  forbidding 
place,  but  no  doubt  the  Chinaman  was  well 
content  with  its  accommodations.  It  was  a 
long,  rambling  structure,  and  it  seemed  to 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  191 

me  as  if  I  were  going  through  an  under- 
ground passage  in  walking  from  room  to 
room.  The  various  halls  were  narrow,  in- 
deed so  narrow  that  two  persons  meeting  in 
them  could  not  without  difficulty  pass  each 
other.  The  beds,  which  brought  a  dollar  a 
month,  were  one  above  another  in  tiers  or 
recesses  in  the  walls.  Generally  a  curtain  of 
a  reddish  hue  depended  in  front  of  them. 
They  reminded  one  of  the  berths  in  a  ship 
or  of  the  repositories  of  the  dead  in  the  Ro- 
man Catacombs.  Two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  persons  were  lodged  in  this  dark,  mys- 
terious labyrinth.  In  another  house  there 
were  five  hundred  and  fifty  people  lodged  in 
seventy-five  rooms.  Possibly  the  owners  of 
tenement  houses  in  our  large  cities,  who 
crowd  men  and  women  into  a  narrow  space 
and  through  unpitying  agents  reap  a  rich 
harvest  regardless  of  the  sufferings  of  their 
fellow-beings,  have  been  taking  lessons  from 
the  landlords  of  Chinatown.  I  said  to  my- 
self, as  I  went  to  and  fro  through  these  nar- 
row passages,  dimly  lighted  with  a  lamp, 
and  the  lights  were  few  and  far  between,  if 
a  fire  should  break  out,  at  midnight,  when 


192       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

all  are  wrapt  in  slumber,  what  a  holocaust 
would  be  here!  And  whose  would  the  sin 
and  the  shame  be?  There  are  good  and 
ample  fire-appliances  for  the  protection  of 
the  city,  but  the  poor  Chinamen  hemmed  in, 
as  in  a  dark  prison-house,  would  surely  be 
suffocated  by  smoke  or  be  consumed  in  the 
flames.  When  the  old  theatre  was  burned 
down,  twenty-five  men,  and  probably  more, 
perished,  although  there  were  means  of  es- 
cape from  this  building.  I  was  told  that  the 
wood  from  which  the  largest  hotel  in  China- 
town, its  Palace  hotel  so  to  speak,  was  con- 
structed in  the  early  days,  was  brought 
around  Cape  Horn,  and  cost  $350  per  thou- 
sand feet.  This  was  before  saw-mills  were 
erected  in  the  forests  among  the  foot-hills 
and  on  the  slopes  of  the  Sierras.  The 
kitchen  of  the  big  boarding  house  was  a  nov- 
elty. It  was  nothing  in  any  respect  like  the 
well-appointed  kitchens  of  our  hotels  with 
their  great  ranges  and  open  fire-places  where 
meats  may  be  roasted  slowly  on  the  turn- 
spit. On  one  side  of  the  kitchen  there  was 
a  kind  of  stone-parapet  about  two  feet  and 
a  half  high,  and  on  the  top  of  this  there  were 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  193 

eight  fire-places.  As  the  Chinamen  cook 
their  own  food  there  might  be  as  many  as 
eight  men  here  at  one  time.  I  asked  the 
guide  if  they  ever  quarreled.  His  answer 
was  significant.  "No!  and  it  would  be 
difficult  to  bring  eight  men  of  any  other  na- 
tionality together  in  such  close  proximity 
without  differences  arising  and  contentions 
taking  place;  but  the  Chinamen  never 
trouble  each  other."  There  was  only  one 
man  cooking  at  such  a  late  hour  as  that  in 
which  we  visited  the  kitchen,  about  half- 
past  ten  o'clock  at  night.  He  used  charcoal, 
and  as  the  coals  were  fanned  the  fire  looked 
like  that  of  a  forge  in  a  blacksmith's  shop. 

On  our  way  to  the  Chinese  Restaurant 
we  stepped  into  a  goldsmith's  shop.  There 
were  a  few  customers  present,  and  the  pro- 
prietor waited  on  them  with  great  diligence. 
At  benches  like  writing  desks,  on  which 
were  tools  of  various  descriptions,  were 
seated  some  half  a  dozen  workmen  who 
were  busily  engaged.  They  never  looked 
up  while  we  stood  by  and  examined  their 
work,  which  was  of  a  high  order.  The  fila- 
gree-work was  beautiful  and  artistic.    There 


194       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

were  numerous  personal  ornaments,  some  of 
solid  gold,  others  plaited.  The  bracelets 
which  they  were  making  «might  fittingly 
adorn  the  neck  of  a  queen.  I  learned  that 
these  skilled  men  worked  sixteen  hours  a 
day  on  moderate  wages.  Their  work  went 
into  first-class  Chinese  bric-a-brac  stores  and 
into  the  jewelry  stores  of  the  merchants  who 
supply  the  rich  and  cultured  with  their  or- 
naments. 

But  it  is  time  that  we  visit  the  restaurant. 
This  is  located  in  a  stately  building  and  is 
one  of  the  first  class.  It  overlooks  the  old 
Plaza,  though  you  enter  from  the  street  one 
block  west  of  the  Plaza.  You  ascend  broad 
stairs,  and  then  you  find  yourself  in  a  wide 
room  or  dining  hall  in  two  sections.  Here 
are  tables  round  and  square,  and  here  you 
are  waited  on  by  the  sons  of  the  Fiery  Fly- 
ing Dragon  clad  in  well-made  tunics,  some- 
times of  silk  material.  As  your  eye  studies 
the  figure  before  you,  the  dress  and  the 
physiognomy,  you  do  not  fail  to  notice  the 
long  pigtail,  the  Chinaman's  glory,  as  a 
woman's  delight  is  her  long  hair.  The  tea, 
which  is  fragrant,  is  served  to  you  out  of 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  195 

dainty  cups,  China  cups,  an  evidence  that  the 
tea-drinking  of  Americans  and  Europeans  is 
derived  from  the  Celestial  Empire.  The  tea- 
plant  is  said,  by  a  pretty  legend,  to  have  been 
formed  from  the  eyelids  of  Buddha  Dharma, 
which,  in  his  generosity,  he  cut  off  for  the 
benefit  of  men.  If  you  wish  for  sweetmeats 
they  will  be  served  in  a  most  tempting  way. 
You  can  also  have  chicken,  rice,  and  veg- 
etables, and  fruits,  after  the  Chinese  fashion. 
You  can  eat  with  your  fingers  if  you  like, 
or  use  knives  and  forks,  or,  if  you  desire  to 
play  the  Chinaman,  with  the  chop-sticks.  In 
Chinatown  the  men  and  the  women  do  not 
eat  together.  This  is  also  the  custom  of 
China,  and  hence  there  is  not  what  we  look 
upon  as  an  essential  element  of  home-life — 
father  and  mother  and  children  and  guests, 
if  there  be  such,  gathered  in  a  pleasant  din- 
ing-room with  the  flow  of  edifying  conver- 
sation and  the  exchange  of  courtesies.  Con- 
fucius never  talked  when  he  ate,  and  his  dis- 
ciples affect  his  taciturnity  at  their  meals. 
Though  in  scholastic  times,  in  European  in- 
stitutions and  in  religious  communities,  men 
kept  silence  at  their  meals,   yet  the  hours 


196       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

were  enlivened  by  one  who  read  for  the  edi- 
fication of  all.  The  interchange  of  thought, 
however, — the  spoken  word  one  with  an- 
other, at  the  family  table,  is  the  better  way. 
Silence  may  be  golden,  but  speech  is  more 
golden  if  seasoned  with  wisdom;  and  even 
the  pleasant  jest  and  the  bon  mot  have  their 
office  and  exercise  a  salutary  influence  on 
character  and  conduct. 

The  food  of  Chinamen  generally  is  very 
simple.  Rice  is  the  staple  article  of  con- 
sumption. They  like  fruits  and  use  them 
moderately.  They  eat  things  too,  which 
would  be  most  repulsive  to  the  epicurean 
taste  of  an  Anglo-Saxon.  Even  lizards  and 
rats  and  young  dogs  they  will  not  refuse. 
But  these  things  are  prepared  in  a  manner 
to  tempt  the  appetite.  After  you  have  par- 
taken of  your  repast  in  the  Chinese  Restau- 
rant, if  you  request  it,  tobacco  pipes  will  be 
brought  in,  and  your  waiter  will  fill  and 
light  them  for  you  and  your  friends.  You 
can  even,  with  a  certain  degree  of  caution, 
indulge  in  the  opium  pipe,  the  joy  of  the 
Chinaman.  As  you  draw  on  this  pipe  and 
take  long  draughts  you  lapse  into  a  strange 
state,  all  your  ills  seem  to  vanish,  and  you 
become  indifferent  to  the  world.     The  beg- 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  197 

gar  in  imagination  becomes  a  millionaire, 
and  for  the  time  he  feels  that  he  is  in  the 
midst    of    courtly    splendours.     But,     ah! 
When  one  awakes  from  his  dream  the  pleas- 
ures are  turned  into  ashes,  and  the  glory- 
fades  as  the  fires  of  the  pipe  die.    Sic  transit 
gloria  mundi!   On  the  walls  of  the  restaur- 
ant were  various  Chinese  decorations.     The 
inevitable  lantern  was  in  evidence.   Here  also 
were  tablets  with  sentences  in  the  language 
of  the  Celestials.     But  there  was  one  thing 
that  struck  me  forcibly  as  I  examined  the 
various  objects  in  the  rooms.     In  the  rear 
half  of  the  restaurant,  on  the  north  side  of 
the  room,  stood  a  Chinese  safe,  somewhat 
in  fashion  like  our  ordinary  American  safe. 
It  was  not,  however,  secured  with  the  com- 
bination lock  with  which  we  are  all  familiar. 
It  shut  like  a  cupboard,  and  had  eight  locks 
on  a  chain  as  it  were.     Every  lock  repre- 
sented a  man  whose  money  or  whose  valu- 
ables were  in  the  safe.     Each  of  the  eight 
men  had  a  key  for  his  own  lock,  different 
from  all  the  other  seven.     When  the  safe  is 
to  be  opened  all  the  eight  men  must  be  pres- 
ent.    Is  this  a  comment  on  the  honesty  of 


1 98       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  Chinaman?  Is  this  indicative  of  their 
lack  of  confidence  in  each  other?  And  yet 
as  a  house-servant  the  Chinaman  is  trusty 
and  faithful  and  honest.  He  is  also  silent 
as  to  what  transpires  in  his  master's  house 
and  at  his  employer's  table.  The  writer  has 
conversed  with  people  who  have  had  China- 
men in  their  service,  he  has  also  visited  the 
homes  of  gentlemen  where  only  Chinese 
servants  are  employed  in  domestic  work, 
and  all  bear  testimony  to  their  excellence  and 
faithfulness  and  honesty. 

No  visit  to  Chinatown  would  be  complete 
without  an  inspection  of  its  theatre  and  a 
study  of  the  audience.  Here  you  see  the 
Celestials  en  masse,  you  behold  them  in  their 
amusements.  Let  us  repair  then  to  the  Jack- 
son Street  Theatre.  The  building-  was  once 
a  hotel,  now  it  is  a  place  of  pastime;  and 
singularly  under  the  same  roof  is  a  small 
Joss-House. — for  the  Chinaman  couples  his 
amusements  with  his  religion.  It  rather  re- 
minds one  of  those  buildings  in  Christian 
lands,  which,  while  used  for  religious  serv- 
ices, yet  have  kitchens  and  places  for  theatri- 
cal shows  and  amusements  under  the  same 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  199 

roof.  But  the  play  has  already  begun.  In- 
deed it  began  at  six  o'clock — and  it  is  now 
nearly  eleven  p.  m.  It  will,  however,  con- 
tinue till  midnight.  This  is  the  rule;  for 
the  Chinaman  does  nothing  by  halves,  and 
he  takes  his  amusement  in  a  large  quantity 
at  a  time.  The  theatre  had  galleries  on 
three  sides  and  these  were  packed  with  men 
and  women  as  well  as  the  main  floor.  There 
were  altogether  a  thousand  persons  present, 
and  it  was  indeed  a  strange  sight  to  look 
into  their  faces,  dressed  alike  as  they  were, 
and  all  seemingly  looking  alike.  The  women 
were  seated  in  the  west  gallery  on  the  right 
hand  of  the  stage  by  themselves.  This  is  an 
Eastern  custom  which  Asiatic  nations  gen- 
erally observe.  Even  in  their  religious  as- 
semblies the  women  sit  apart.  The  custom 
arose  primarily  from  the  idea  that  woman  is 
inferior  to  man.  In  the  Jewish  temple  as 
well  as  in  the  synagogue,  the  sexes  were 
separated.  It  is  so  to-day  in  most  syna- 
gogues. Among  the  Mohammedans,  too, 
woman  is  ruled  out  and  is  kept  apart;  and 
so  strong  is  custom  it  even  affected  the 
Christian  church   in   Oriental   lands  in  the 


200       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

early  days.    You  see  a  trace  of  it  still  in  the 
East  in  church-arrangements. 

A  Chinese  play  takes  a  number  of  weeks 
or  even  months  in  which  to  complete  it.  It 
may  be  founded  on  domestic  life  or  on  some 
historic  scene.  Sometimes  the  history  of  a 
province  of  the  Chinese  Empire  is  the  theme. 
The  plays  are  mostly  comedy.  There  are 
no  grand  tragedies  like  those  of  the  old 
Greek  poets.  The  Chinese  have  had  no  such 
writers  as  Sophocles  or  Euripides,  no  such 
creators  of  plays  as  Shakespeare,  and  they 
have  no  such  actors  as  a  Garrick  or  an  Irv- 
ing. We  were  invited  to  seats  on  the  stage 
— which  had  no  curtains,  everything  being 
done  openly.  In  order  to  reach  the  stage 
the  guide  conducted  us  down  the  passage- 
way or  aisle  through  the  midst  of  the  audi- 
ence. Then  we  ascended  a  platform  at  the 
end  of  the  stage  and  went  behind  it  into  a 
long  room  where  the  actors  were  putting  on 
costumes  of  a  fantastic  shape  and  painting 
their  faces  with  bright  coloured  pigments. 
Some  of  them  also  put  on  masks  that  would 
frighten  a  person  should  he  meet  the  wear- 
ers suddenly.     The  majority  of  the  masks 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  201 

were  caricatures  of  the  human  face  and  were 
comical  in  expression.  We  felt  quite  at 
home  on  the  stage  at  once;  for  here,  seated 
on  either  side  with  the  actors  in  the  midst 
of  the  company,  were  many  of  our  friends 
lay  and  clerical,  men  and  women,  looking 
on  in  wonder  at  the  strange  performance. 
An  orchestra  of  six  or  seven  members  was 
here  on  the  back  part  of  the  stage — and  the 
music !  It  consisted  of  the  beating  of  drums, 
the  sounding  of  gongs  and  other  outlandish 
noises.  Now  and  then  above  the  din  you 
could  catch  the  sound  of  a  clarionet  and  the 
feeble  strains  of  a  banjo.  It  was  indeed 
pandemonium !  Yet  above  all  the  noise  and 
confusion  you  could  hear  the  high  pitched 
voices  of  the  actors  as  they  shouted  and  ges- 
ticulated. The  audience,  I  noticed,  was  most 
attentive  and  decorous.  They  were  evidently 
well  pleased  with  the  play;  and  what  was 
quite  remarkable  they  seemed  to  have 
neither  ears  nor  eyes  for  their  visitors.  Of 
course  they  must  have  seen  us,  but  with  an 
indifference  that  almost  bordered  on  con- 
tempt they  paid  no  attention  to  us. 

In  the  play  one  of  the  actors  died  on  the 


202       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

stage,  but  the  death  had  nothing  of  the 
tragic  or  heroic  in  it.  After  a  brief  interval 
he  rose  up  and  walked  off  amid  the  merri- 
ment of  the  audience. 

Many  Chinamen  come  here  to  spend  their 
evening.  The  admission  is  fifty  cents, 
which  entitles  one  to  a  seat.  As  the  play 
runs  through  six  hours  at  a  time,  they  feel 
that  they  get  the  worth  of  their  money. 
They  meet  their  friends  there  also;  and 
although  they  are  not  very  demonstrative 
towards  each  other,  like  the  warm  blooded 
races  of  Italy  and  Greece  and  Northern  Eu- 
rope and  the  United  States,  yet  they  are 
very  happy  in  the  presence  of  men  of  their 
own  race  and  nation.  The  theatre  is  about 
the  only  place  where  they  can  meet  on  com- 
mon ground,  at  least  in  large  bodies,  and 
then,  as  we  have  already  intimated,  the  thea- 
tre is  something  more  than  a  place  of 
amusement  in  their  eyes.  Their  forefathers 
liked  such  plays,  and  they  believe  that  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  are  in  a  certain  sense 
present  to  share  in  the  enjoyments  of  men 
in  the  body. 

Only  men  and  boys  act  on  the  Chinese 


GAMBLING  AND  THE  THEATRE  203 

stage.  There  are  no  women,  though  the 
female  sex  is  personated.  This  has  its  ad- 
vantages. Woman  is  kept  out  of  harm;  she 
is  not  subject  to  the  indignities  and  tempta- 
tions which  beset  her  among  other  peoples 
who  employ  her  services.  Of  course  there 
are  good  and  virtuous  women  on  the  stage — 
very  many,  I  trust!  But  it  will  be  admitted 
that  the  life  of  an  actress  is  one  of  trial. 
She  must  of  necessity  be  brought  into  inter- 
course with  an  element  whose  moral  ideals 
are  not  the  loftiest,  and  she  must  have  un- 
usual strength  of  character  to  preserve  her 
integrity.  She  can  do  it!  I  believe  that 
men  and  women  can  resist  temptation  in  all 
spheres,  in  all  vocations  of  life;  I  have  great 
faith  in  humanity,  especially  when  sus- 
tained by  divine  helps;  but  we  must  not  sub- 
ject the  bow  to  too  much  tension  lest  it 
break.  The  personating  of  characters  which 
have  in  them  a  spice  of  wickedness,  the  tak- 
ing of  the  part  in  a  play  which  represents 
the  downfall  of  a  virtuous  person,  the  setting 
forth  of  the  passions  of  love  and  hatred, 
must  in  time  produce  a  powerful  effect  on 
the  mind  of  a  young  woman,  and  there  is 


204       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

danger  that  the  neophyte  on  the  stage  will 
be  contaminated  with  the  base  things  of  life 
before  strength  of  character  is  developed. 
The  Chinese  are  to  be  commended  in  this 
respect,  whatever  their  motive  in  excluding 
their  women  from  the  stage.  The  reproduc- 
tion of  Greek  plays,  in  some  of  our  universi- 
ties, where  only  men  take  the  parts,  shows 
what  could  be  done  among  us  on  the  stage, 
and  successfully. 

The  Chinese  actors  whom  I  saw,  exhibited 
a  great  deal  of  human  nature  in  their  acting. 
There  was  the  full  display  of  the  human 
passions;  and  they  entered  into  their  work 
with  zest  as  if  it  were  real  life.  Some  of  the 
men  in  the  audience  were  smoking  cigars, 
others  cigarettes.  The  Asiatic  has  a  fond- 
ness for  cigarettes.  You  see  the  men  of  the 
East  smoking  everywhere,  whether  in  Syria, 
or  Egypt,  or  Nubia,  or  Arabia.  And  is  it 
not  true  that  men  are  much  the  same  the 
world  over,  in  their  pastimes  and  pursuits, 
their  loves  and  their  pleasures? 


CHAPTER  X 

THE     JOSS-HOUSE,     CHINESE     IMMIGRATION 
AND    CHINESE   THEOLOGY 

In  Chinatown — Conception  of  God — The  Joss  House 
— Chinese  Mottoes — The  Joss  a  Chinaman — Greek 
and  Egyptian  Ideas  of  God — Different  Types  of 
Madonnas  —  Chinese  Worship  and  Machine 
Prayers  —  The  Joss-House  and  the  Christian 
Church — Chinese  Immigration — Chinamen  in  the 
United  States — A  Plague  Spot — Fire  Crackers  and 
Incense  Sticks — The  Lion  and  the  Hen — The 
Man  with  Tears  of  Blood — Filial  Piety — The  Joss 
— Origin  of  the  World — Creation  of  Man — Spirits 
of  the  Dead — Ancestral  Rites — The  Chinese  Em- 
peror— What  Might  Have  Been — The  Hand  of 
God. 

Our  study  of  Chinatown  and  the  civilisa- 
tion of  the  country  of  the  Yellow  Dragon, 
as  seen  in  the  City  of  the  Golden  Gate,  has 
thus  far  brought  us  in  contact  with  the  social 
and  business  life  of  the  Chinese  and  their 
amusements ;  but  we  are  now  to  visit  one  of 
their  temples  of  worship,  the  Joss-House. 
And  here  the  real  man  will  be  revealed;  fcr 
205 


206       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

it  is  in  religious  services  and  ceremonies  and 
beliefs  that  we  get  a  true  knowledge  of  a 
race  or  a  nation.  The  conception  of  God 
which  you  have  is  the  key  to  your  char- 
acter. If  your  views  of  Deity  are  low  and 
ignoble  you  will  not  achieve  any  greatness 
in  the  world;  but  if  on  the  other  hand  you 
invest  the  Being  Whom  you  worship  with 
noble  attributes  and  look  upon  Him  as  just 
and  holy,  a  God  of  mercy  and  judgment, 
your  breast  will  be  animated  with  grand 
thoughts  and  lofty  ideals  will  impel  you  to 
the  performance  of  heroic  deeds.  The 
word  Joss,  which  we  use  for  a  Chinese  idol 
or  god,  seems  to  be  derived  from  the  Por- 
tugese, Dios,  or  rather  it  is  the  Pidgin  Eng- 
lish of  Dios.  A  Joss-House  then  is  a 
Chinese  idol  or  god-house.  We  are  now 
standing  before  such  a  place  of  worship. 
This  is  on  the  corner  of  Kearney  and  Pine 
Streets,  and  is  built  of  brick,  and  as  we  look 
up  we  see  that  it  is  three  stories  high.  There 
is  a  marble  slab  over  the  entrance  with  an 
inscription  which  tells  us  that  this  building 
is  the  Sze-Yap  Asylum.  Let  us  enter.  The 
lower  story,  we  find,  is  given  up  to  business 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  207 

of  one  kind  or  another  connected  with  the 
Sze-Yap  Immigration  Society.  This,  we 
note,  is  richly  adorned  with  valuable  tapes- 
tries and  silken  hangings,  and  the  rich 
colours  attract  the  eye  at  once.  If  you  wish 
to  sit  down  you  can,  and  enjoy  the  novelty 
of  the  scene.  For  here  are  easy  chairs 
which  invite  you  to  rest.  In  your  inspection 
of  the  place  you  venture  to  peer  into  the 
room  back  of  this,  and  you  perceive  at  once 
that  there  is  the  lounging  place  of  the  estab- 
lishment. You  see  men  on  couches  perfectly 
at  ease  and  undisturbed  by  your  presence, 
smoking  cigarettes  or  opium,  the  China- 
man's delight.  If  you  desire  to  penetrate 
further  into  the  building  you  will  come  to 
the  kitchen  where  the  dainty  dishes  of  the 
Chinese  are  cooked;  but  you  retreat  and 
ascend  a  staircase  in  the  southeast  corner  of 
the  first  room,  and  soon  you  are  in  the  Joss- 
House  proper.  This  second  story  is  de- 
voted exclusively  to  religious  purposes.  The 
room  to  which  you  are  now  introduced  is 
about  thirty  feet  square,  and  as  you  look 
around  you  perceive  the  hangings  on  the 
walls  and  the  rich  decorations  of  the  ceiling. 


208       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Here  are  placards  on  the  walls,  which,  your 
guide  will  tell  you,  if  you  are  not  conversant 
with  the  Chinese  tongue,  bear  on  them  sen- 
tences from  the  writings  of  Confucius, 
Mencius,  and  others,  with  exhortations  to  do 
nothing  against  integrity  or  virtue,  to  ven- 
erate ancestors  and  to  be  careful  not  to  in- 
jure one's  reputation  in  the  eyes  of  Ameri- 
cans ; — all  of  which  is  most  excellent  advice, 
and  worthy  of  the  attention  of  men  every- 
where. You  then  cast  your  eyes  on  the 
gilded  spears,  and  standards  and  battle-axes 
standing  in  the  corners  of  the  Temple,  and 
as  you  look  up  you  almost  covet  the  great 
Chinese  lanterns  suspended  from  the  ceiling. 
Your  eyes  are  finallv  directed  to  the  altar, 
near  which,  and  on  it,  are  flowers  artificial 
and  natural.  At  the  rear  in  a  kind  of  a 
niche  in  the  Joss  or  god.  The  figure  of  this 
deity  was  like  a  noble  Chinaman,  well- 
dressed,  with  a  moustache,  and  having  in 
his  eyes  a  far-away  expression.  He  wore 
a  tufted  crown,  which  made  him  look  some- 
what war-like.  It  is  but  natural  that  this 
Joss  should  be  a  blind  man.  The  Greek 
gods    and    goddesses    have    Greek    counte- 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  209 

nances.  The  idolatrous  nations  fashion 
their  deities  after  their  own  likeness.  And 
what  are  these  but  deified  human  beings  ?  It 
is  so  in  Greek  and  Roman  mythology.  The 
Egyptian  Osiris  is  an  Egyptian.  It  is  true 
that  some  of  the  ancients  outside  of  Hebrew 
Revelation  had  a  better  conception  of  God 
than  others.  Even  in  Egypt  where  birds 
and  beasts  and  creeping  things  received 
divine  honors  there  were  scholars  and  poets 
who  had  an  exalted  idea  of  the  Deity,  as  wit- 
ness the  Poems  of  Pentaur.  This  is  true 
also  of  some  of  the  Greek  Poets  who  had  a 
deep  insight  into  divine  things.  It  is  not  a 
little  interesting  to  note  also  that  artists  of 
different  nations  paint  the  Madonna  after 
the  style  of  their  own  women.  Very  few  of 
the  pictures  in  the  great  art  galleries  are 
after  the  style  of  face  which  you  see  in  the 
Orient.  Hence  there  are  Dutch  Madonnas, 
and  Italian  and  French  and  English  types. 
There  were  no  worshippers  in  the  Joss- 
House  at  the  hour  when  I  visited  it.  Wor- 
ship is  not  a  prominent  feature  of  Chinese 
religious  life.  The  good  Chinaman  comes 
once  a  year  at  least,  perhaps  oftener,  and 


210       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

burns  a  bit  of  perforated  paper  before  his 
Joss,  in  order  to  show  that  he  is  not  forget- 
ful of  his  deity.  This  bit  of  paper  is  about 
six  inches  long  and  two  inches  wide.  He 
also  puts  printed  or  written  papers  in  a 
machine  which  is  run  like  a  clock.  Well, 
this  is  an  easy  way  to  say  prayers.  And  are 
there  not  many  prayers  offered,  not  merely 
by  Chinamen,  that  are  machine  prayers, 
soulless,  heartless,  meaningless,  and  faith- 
less, and  which  bring  no  answer?  But  how 
simple,  how  beautiful,  how  sublime,  the 
golden  Prayer  which  the  Divine  Master 
taught  His  disciples !  Lord,  teach  us  how 
to  pray.  If  the  noble  Liturgy  of  the  Church 
is  properly  rendered, — for  it  is  the  expan- 
sion of  the  Lord's  Prayer, — there  will  be  no 
machine-praying,  and  the  answer  to  prayer 
will  be  rich  and  abundant.  The  contrast  be- 
tween the  worship  of  the  Joss  and  the  wor- 
ship of  the  true  God  in  a  Christian  Church 
is  striking  and  affords  reflection.  The 
former  is  of  the  earth  earthy,  the  latter 
transports  the  devout  worshipper  to  the 
throne  of  the  Most  High.  There  is  no  fear 
that  the  religion  of  the  Joss-House  will  ever 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  211 

usurp  the  religion  of  the  Christian  altar. 
Men  have  expressed  the  fear  that  if  the 
Chinese  came  in  overwhelming  numbers  to 
America  they  would  endanger  the  Christian 
faith  by  their  idolatry.  But  would  this  be 
true?  Has  Christianity  anything  to  dread? 
What  impression  has  the  Joss-House  made 
all  these  years  on  the  life  of  San  Francisco 
outside  of  Chinatown  ?  None  whatever,  ex- 
cept to  make  the  reflecting  man  value  the 
Christian  faith  with  its  elevating  influences 
and  its  blessed  hopes  all  the  more.  It  is  a 
mistake  then  to  exclude  Chinamen  from  our 
shores  on  the  ground  that  they  will  do  harm 
to  Christianity.  On  the  contrary  the  Church 
will  do  them  good.  The  Gospel  is  the 
leaven  which  will  be  the  salvation  of  heathen 
men.  Did  it  not  go  forth  into  the  Gentile 
world  on  its  glorious  mission,  and  did  it 
not  convert  many  nations  in  the  first  ages? 
Has  it  lost  its  potency  to-day?  No!  It  is 
as  powerful  as  ever  to  win  men  from  their 
idols  and  their  evil  lives.  The  question  of 
Chinese  immigration  is  a  large  one.  It  has 
its  social  and  its  political  aspects.  It  is 
found  all  along  the  Pacific  coast  that  China- 


212       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

men  make  good  and  faithful  servants.  The 
outcry  against  them  as  competing  with  white 
laborers  and  artisans  is  more  the  result  of 
political  agitation  for  political  purposes  than 
good  judgment.  Where  they  have  been  dis- 
placed on  farms,  in  mills,  in  warehouses,  in 
domestic  life,  white  men  and  women  have 
not  been  found  to  take  their  places  and  do 
the  work  which  they  can  do  so  well.  Under 
the  Geary  Act  immigration  has  been  re- 
stricted and  the  numbers  of  the  Chinese  in 
the  United  States  have  been  gradually  de- 
creasing. In  the  year  1854  there  were  only 
3.000  Chinese  in  the  City  of  San  Francisco ; 
but  even  then  there  was  agitation  against 
them.  It  was  Governor  Bigler  who  called 
them  "coolies,"  and  this  term  they  repudiated 
with  the  same  abhorrence  which  the  negro 
or  black  man  has  for  the  term  "  nigger." 
They  kept  on  increasing,  however,  until  in 
1875  there  were  in  the  whole  State  of  Cali- 
fornia 130,000.  Of  this  number  30,000 
were  in  San  Francisco.  To-day  there  are 
only  about  46,000  in  California  and  there  are 
not  more  than  thirty  thousand  of  these  in 
the  City  of  San  Francisco.     There  are  only 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  213 

110,000  Chinese  altogether  in  the  United 
States  proper.  Even  the  most  ardent  ex- 
clusionist  can  see  from  this  that  there  is 
nothing  to  dread  as  to  an  overwhelming  in- 
flux that  will  threaten  the  integrity  and 
existence  of  our  civilisation.  The  labour- 
question  and  the  race-question  and  the  inter- 
national question,  aroused  by  the  presence 
of  the  Chinese  within  our  borders,  will  from 
time  to  time  cause  agitation  and  provoke 
discussion  and  heated  debate  and  evoke 
oratory  of  one  kind  or  another ;  but  the  ques- 
tion which  should  be  uppermost  in  the  minds 
of  wise  statesmen  is  how  shall  they  be  as- 
similated to  our  life?  How  shall  we  make 
them  Christians?  The  answer  will  be  the 
best  solution  of  the  whole  matter,  if  it  has 
in  mind  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  China- 
man and  of  all  other  heathen  on  our  shores. 
There  is  indeed  a  plague  spot  in  Chinatown, 
the  social  fester,  which  can  and  ought  to 
be  removed.  But  this  is  true  of  American 
San  Francisco  as  well  as  of  Chinatown. 
What,  we  may  ask,  are  the  men  and  women 
of  as  beautiful  a  city  as  ever  sat  on  Bay  or 
Lake  or  Sea-Shore  or  River,  doing  for  its 


214       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

purgation,  for  its  release  from  moral  de- 
filement and  "  garments  spotted  with  the 
flesh?  "  This  indeed  is  one  of  the  searching 
questions  to  be  asked  of  any  other  City,  such 
as  New  York,  Chicago,  St.  Louis,  London, 
Paris,  Cairo,  Constantinople,  as  well  as  San 
Francisco.  Among  the  other  noticeable 
things  in  the  Joss-House  were  two  immense 
lanterns,  as  much  for  ornament  as  for  utility. 
Then  I  saw  a  big  drum  and  a  bell,  used  in 
some  of  the  processions  of  the  Temple;  for 
the  Chinese  take  special  delight  in  noises, 
indeed  the  more  noise  the  better  satisfied 
they  are.  During  my  visit  some  of  the 
Joss-LIouse  attendants  were  shooting  off  fire 
crackers ;  and  I  was  told  that  this  was  an 
acceptable  offering  to  the  Chinese  god.  One 
who  was  selling  small,  slender  incense 
sticks,  said  that  you  could  burn  them  to 
drive  away  the  devil,  an  excellent  purpose 
certainly.  He  also  said  they  were  good  to 
keep  moths  away.  Doubtless  in  the  Chinese 
mind  there  is  a  connection  between  moths 
and  evil  spirits;  but  you  smile  at  all  such 
puerilities.  They  belong  to  the  childhood 
of  the  world  and  not  to  the  beginning  of  the 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  215 

twentieth  century.  Amon?  other  creatures 
which  they  venerate  are  chickens  and  lions. 
They  invest  the  lion  with  divine  attributes 
on  account  of  his  majesty  and  power.  But 
the  chicken?  Well,  it  is  a  gentle  creature. 
It  is  the  embodiment  of  motherhood  and  it 
speaks  of  care,  not  only  to  the  Chinaman's 
understanding,  but  to  ours  also.  The 
Divine  Teacher,  greater  than  Confucius, 
said :  "  How  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings !  "  Will  China, 
now  waking  out  of  the  sleep  of  centuries, 
allow  Him  to  gather  her  children  together 
under  the  wings  of  His  Cross  ?  "  And  ye 
would  not."  Oh,  what  pathos  in  these  few 
words !  But  doubtless  they  will.  Many 
during  the  war  of  the  Boxers  were  "  gath- 
ered "  unto  Him,  emulating  the  zeal  and 
courage  and  faith  of  the  martyrs  of  the  early 
days  of  the  Church.  As  the  hen  is  sacred 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Chinaman,  sacred  as  the 
peacock  to  Juno  or  the  ibis  to  the  Egyptians, 
they  swear  by  her  head,  and  an  oath  thus 
taken  may  not  be  broken. 

One  of  the  images  which  I  saw  in  the 


216       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Joss-House  was  pointed  out  as  the  God  of 
the  Door;  and  how  suggestive  this  title  and 
this  office!  Another  figure,  on  the  right 
side  of  the  altar,  which  attracted  my  atten- 
tion particularly  was  that  of  Toi  Sin.  He 
was  dressed  somewhat  like  a  mandarin,  and 
his  head  was  bared,  while  tears  as  of  blood 
were  on  his  cheeks.  He  lived  some  three 
hundred  years  after  the  Advent  of  Christ; 
and  owing  to  his  disobedience  to  his  parents, 
for  which  he  was  punished  in  his  conscience, 
and  otherwise,  he  grieved  himself  to  death 
and  wept  tears  of  blood.  His  image,  I  was 
told,  is  placed  in  all  Temples  as  a  warning 
to  children.  It  is  a  forceful  lesson,  and  it  is 
a  timely  warning.  The  one  thing  that  is 
characteristic  of  a  Chinaman  is  his  filial 
piety.  This  filial  piety  was  admired  in 
all  ages.  It  was  inculcated  in  the  old 
Hebrew  Law  and  enforced  with  weighty 
considerations.  It  was  a  virtue  among  the 
Greeks  as  well  as  other  peoples  of  the  Gentile 
world;  and  I  wonder  not  that  when  the 
heroes  who  captured  Troy  saw  /Eneas  carry- 
ing his  aged  father  Anchises  on  his  shoulders 
and  leading  his  son,  the  puer  Ascanius,  by 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  217 

the  hand,  out  of  the  burning  city,  they 
cheered  him  and  allowed  him  to  escape  with 
his  precious  burden.  A  Chinaman  is  taught 
by  precept  and  example  to  venerate  his 
parents  and  to  give  them  divine  honors  after 
death.  Should  a  Chinese  child  be  dis- 
obedient he  would  be  punished  severely  by 
the  bamboo  or  other  instrument,  and  he 
would  bring  on  himself  the  wrath  of  all  his 
family.  This  strong  sense  of  filial  piety  has 
done  more  for  the  stability  and  perpetuity 
of  the  Chinese  Empire  than  ought  else.  It 
is  a  great  element  of  strength  and  it  leads  to 
respect  for  customs  and  to  the  observance  of 
maxims.  Especially  are  burial  places  held 
in  sacred  esteem,  and  as  they  contain  the 
ashes  of  the  fathers  they  must  not  be  dis- 
turbed or  desecrated.  In  this  respect  we 
might  emulate  the  Chinese,  for  they  are  a 
perfect  illustration  of  the  old  precept, 
"  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother," 
which,  in  a  busy,  independent  age.  there  is 
danger  of  forgetting.  But  we  look  with  no 
little  interest  on  the  Joss  above  the  altar,  the 
Chinese  god.  His  name  is  Kwan  Kung, 
and  I  am  informed  that  he  was  born  about 


2i8       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

two  hundred  years  after  the  beginning  of 
the  Christian  era.  Such  is  the  person  who 
is  worshipped  here.  That  he  may  not  be 
hungry  food  is  placed  before  him  at  times, 
and  also  water  to  drink.  It  is  a  poor,  weak 
human  god  after  all,  a  dying,  dead  man. 
How  different  the  Creator  of  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  Who  fainteth  not  neither  is  weary ! 
The  Chinese  have  no  conception  of  the  true 
God.  They  cannot  conceive  of  the  beauty 
and  power  and  compassion  of  Jesus  Christ 
until  they  are  brought  into  the  light  of  the 
Gospel.  But  what  is  Chinese  theology? 
What  do  they  teach  about  the  origin  of  the 
world  and  man  and  his  destiny.  The  schol- 
ars tell  us  that  the  world  was  formed  by 
the  duel  powers  Yang  and  Yin,  who  were 
in  turn  influenced  by  their  own  creations. 
First  the  heavens  were  brought  into  being, 
then  the  earth.  From  the  co-operation  of 
Yang  and  Yin  the  four  seasons  were  pro- 
duced, and  the  seasons  gave  birth  to  the 
fruits  and  flowers  of  the  earth.  The  dual 
principles  also  brought  forth  fire  and  water, 
and  the  sun  and  moon  and  stars  were  origi- 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  219 

nated.  The  idea  of  a  Creator  in  the  Biblical 
sense  is  far  removed  from  the  Chinese  mind. 
Their  first  man,  named  Pwanku,  after  his 
appearance,  was  set  to  work  to  mould  the 
Chaos  out  of  which  he  was  born.  He  had 
also  to  chisel  out  the  earth  which  was  to  be 
his  abode.  Behind  him  through  the  clefts 
made  by  his  chisel  and  mallet  are  sun  and 
moon  and  stars,  and  at  his  right  hand,  as 
companions,  may  be  seen  the  Dragon,  the 
Tortoise  and  the  Phcenix  as  well  as  the  Uni- 
corn. His  labours  extend  over  a  period  of 
eighteen  thousand  vears.  He  grew  in  stature 
at  the  rate  of  six  feet  every  day,  and  when 
his  work  was  finished  he  died.  The  moun- 
tains were  formed  from  his  head,  his  breath 
produced  the  wind,  and  the  moisture  of  his 
lips  the  clouds.  His  voice  is  the  thunder, 
his  limbs  are  the  four  poles,  his  veins  the 
rivers,  his  sinews  the  wave-like  motions  of 
the  earth,  his  flesh  the  fields,  his  beard  the 
stars,  his  skin  and  hair  herbs  and  trees,  his 
teeth  bones,  his  marrow  metals,  rocks  and 
precious  stones,  his  sweat  rain,  and  the  in- 
sects clinging  to  his  body  become  men  and 


220        BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

women.     Ah,  how  applicable  the  memorable 
line  of  Horace ! 

Parturiunt  montes,  nascetur  ridiculus  mus. 

In  regard  to  the  spirits  of  the  dead  the 
Chinese  believe  that  they  linger  still  in  the 
places  which  were  their  homes  while  alive 
on  earth,  and  that  they  can  be  moved  to 
pleasure  or  pain  by  what  they  see  or  hear. 
These  spirits  of  the  departed  are  delighted 
with  offerings  rendered  to  them  and  take 
umbrage  at  neglect.  Believing  also  that  the 
spirits  can  help  or  injure  men  they  pray  to 
them  and  make  offerings  to  them.  From 
this  we  can  understand  the  meaning  and 
object  of  ancestral  rites.  In  these  rites  they 
honour  and  assist  the  dead  as  if  they  were 
alive  still.  Food,  clothing  and  money  are 
offered,  as  they  believe  they  eat  and  drink 
and  have  need  of  the  things  of  this  life. 
Even  theatrical  exhibitions  and  musical  en- 
tertainments are  provided  on  the  presump- 
tion that  they  are  gratified  with  what  pleased 
them  while  in  the  body.  Now  as  all  past 
generations  are  to  be  provided  for,  the 
Chinese  Pantheon  contains  myriads  of  be- 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  221 

ings  to  be  worshipped.  But  think,  what  a 
burden  it  becomes  to  the  poor  man  who  tries 
conscientiously  to  do  his  duty  to  the  de- 
parted ! 

Now  this  ancestral  worship  leads  to  the 
deduction  that  it  is  an  unfilial  thing  not  to 
marry  and  beget  sons  by  whom  the  line  of 
descendants  may  be  continued.  Otherwise 
the  line  would  cease,  and  the  spirits  would 
have  none  to  care  for  them  or  worship  them. 

The  Chinese  view  of  rulers  or  Kings  is 
also  striking.  According  to  the  belief  prev- 
alent regarding  government,  Heaven  and 
Earth  were  without  speech.  These  created 
man  who  should  represent  them.  This  man 
is  none  other  than  the  Emperor  their  vice- 
gerent. He  is  constituted  ruler  over  all 
people.  This  accounts  for  three  things; 
first,  the  superiority  which  the  Chinese  em- 
perors assume  over  the  kings  and  rulers  of 
other  countries ;  secondly,  for  the  long-lived 
empire  of  China,  it  being  rebellion  against 
Heaven  to  lift  up  one's  self  against  the  Em- 
peror ;  and  in  the  third  place  it  explains  to  us 
why  divine  honours  are  paid  to  him.  He  is  a 
sacred  person.     He  is  in  a  certain  sense  a 


222       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

god.  The  view  is  similar  to  that  entertained 
by  the  Roman  Emperors,  who,  in  inscriptions 
and  on  coins  employed  the  term  Deus,  and 
at  times  exacted  divine  honours.  As  we  turn 
from  the  Joss-House  and  walk  away  from 
this  bit-  of  heathendom  in  the  heart  of  an 
active,  stirring,  prosperous,  great  American 
city  with  its  Christian  civilisation  and  its 
Christian  Churches  and  its  Christian  homes, 
wre  cannot  but  ask  ourselves  what  would 
have  been  the  history  of  the  Pacific  States, 
of  California  with  its  nearly  eight  hundred 
miles  of  coast,  if  the  Chinese  had  settled 
here  centuries  ago?  If  they  had  been  navi- 
gators and  colonizers  like  the  Phoenicians  of 
old,  like  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  if  they  had 
had  a  Columbus,  a  Balboa,  a  Cabrillo,  a 
Drake,  the  whole  history  of  the  country  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  might  have  been 
totally  different.  Millions  of  Chinamen  in- 
stead of  thousands  might  now  be  in  pos- 
session of  that  great  region  of  our  land,  and 
great  cities  like  Canton  and  Fuchau,  Pekin 
and  Tientsin,  might  rise  up  on  the  view  in- 
stead of  San  Diego  and  Los  Angeles,  Sac- 
ramento and  San  Francisco,  with  their  idol- 


THE  JOSS-HOUSE  223 

atry  and  peculiar  life  and  customs.  An- 
other question  may  be  asked  here  by  way  of 
speculation.  What  would  have  been  the 
effect  of  Chinese  occupation  of  the  Pacific 
coast  on  the  Indians  of  all  the  region  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains?  Would  the  fol- 
lowers of  Confucius  have  incorporated  them 
into  their  nationality,  supplanted  them,  or 
caused  them  to  vanish  out  of  sight?  What 
problems  these  for  the  ethnologist!  Doubt- 
less there  would  have  been  intermarriages  of 
the  races  with  new  generations  of  comming- 
led blood.  And  what  would  have  been  the 
result  of  this  ?  There  is  a  story  which  I  have 
read  somewhere,  that  long  years  ago  a  Chi- 
nese junk  was  driven  by  the  winds  to  the 
shores  of  California,  and  that  a  Chinese  mer- 
chant on  board  took  an  Indian  maiden  to 
wife  and  bore  her  home  to  the  Flowery 
Kingdom,  and  that  from  this  marriage  was 
descended  the  famous  statesman  Li  Hung 
Chang.  But  whatever  the  fortunes  of  the 
Indians,  or  the  Chinese  in  their  appropria- 
tion of  the  Pacific  coast,  it  would  not  have 
been  so  advantageous  to  civilisation,  to  the 
progress  of  humanity.     It  would  have  been 


224       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

loss,  and  a  hindrance  to  the  Anglo-Saxon 
race  destined  now  to  rule  the  world  and  to 
break  down  every  barrier  and  to  set  up  the 
standard  of  the  Cross  everywhere  for  the 
glory  of  the  true  God.  His  hand  is  apparent 
in  it  all.  He  directs  the  great  movements  of 
history  for  the  welfare  of  mankind,  and  He 
controls  the  destinies  of  nations  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  His  Kingdom ! 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE   GENERAL    CONVENTION   OF    I9OI 

First  Services  —  Drake's  Chaplain  —  Flavel  Scott 
Mines — Bishop  Kip — Growth  of  the  Church  in  Cali- 
fornia— The  General  Convention  in  San  Francisco 
— A  Western  Sermon — Personnel  of  the  Conven- 
tion— Distinguished  Names — Subjects  Debated — 
Missions  of  the  Church — Apportionment  Plan — 
The  Woman's  Auxiliary — The  United  Offering — 
Missionary  Meeting  in  Mechanics'  Pavilion — Col- 
lege Reunions — Zealous  Men — A  Dramatic  Scene 
— Closing  Service — Object  Lesson — A  Revelation 
to  California — Examples  of  the  Church's  Train- 
ing— Mrs.  Twing — John  I.  Thompson — Golden 
Gate  of  Paradise. 

As  we  turn  away  from  Chinatown,  with 
its  Oriental  customs  and  its  peculiar  life  and 
its  religion,  we  naturally  give  ourselves  up 
to  reflection  on  the  mission  and  character  of 
the  Christian  Church.  While  we  recognise 
the  good  that  is  done  by  "  all  who  profess 
and  call  themselves  Christians,"  and  thank 
God  for  every  good  work  done  in  the  name 
225 


226       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  may  more 
especially  consider  the  development  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  pure  and  Apostolic  in  its 
origin,  on  the  Pacific  coast.  We  must  ever 
keep  in  mind  the  services  held  in  this  region 
as  far  back  as  the  year  1579,  by  Chaplain 
Francis  Fletcher,  under  Admiral  Drake, 
when  the  old  Prayer  Book  of  the  Church  of 
England  was  used  on  the  shores  of  the 
Golden  Gate,  a  fact  commemorated,  as  we 
have  already  noted  in  a  previous  chapter,  by 
the  Prayer  Book  Cross  erected  by  the  late 
George  W.  Childs,  of  Philadelphia,  in  Gold- 
en Gate  Park.  This  was  prophetic  of  bright 
days  to  come.  Time  would  roll  on  and  bring 
its  marvellous  changes,  but  the  truth  of  God 
would  remain  the  same,  and  the  Church 
would  still  flourish  and  the  liturgy  of  our 
forefathers  would  hold  its  place  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people  of  all  ranks,  as  at  this 
clay.  Drake  and  Fletcher  could  hardly  have 
realised,  however,  that  the  good  seed  which 
they  then  sowed,  though  it  might  remain 
hidden  from  view  for  many  generations, 
would  in  time  spring  up  and  yield  a  glorious 
harvest.   We  are  not  unmindful,  of  course,  of 


THE  CONVENTION  227 

the  labours  and  teachings  of  the  Franciscans 
among  the  California  Indians ;  but  when  this 
order  of  things  passed  away  and  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  succeeded  the  Spaniard  and  the  Mexi- 
can, it  was  but  natural  that  the  old  Church 
which  had  made  Great  Britain  what  it  was 
and  is,  aye,  and  moulded  our  civilisation  on 
this  continent,  should  seek  a  foothold  in  the 
beautiful  lands  by  the  Pacific  and  on  the 
slopes  of  the  Sierras.  Many  of  the  Church's 
sons  were  among  the  thousands  who  sought 
California  in  quest  of  gold,  and  these  Argo- 
nauts she  would  follow  whithersoever  they 
went.  They  must  not  be  left  alone  to  wrestle 
with  the  temptations  which  would  beset  them 
far  away  from  home  and  the  hallowing  in- 
fluences of  sacred  institutions  and  religious 
services.  Hence  it  is  that  we  behold  that 
zealous  missionary  of  the  Church,  the  Rev. 
Flavel  Scott  Mines,  going  forth  to  seek  out 
Christ's  sheep  in  San  Francisco  and  else- 
where, and  to  gather  them  into  the  fold  of 
the  Good  Shepherd.  His  history  is  most  in- 
teresting and  instructive.  He  was  the  son  of 
Rev.  John  Mines,  D.D.,  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman   of   Virginia,    and   was   born    in 


228       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Leesburg,  Va.,  on  the  31st  of  December, 
181 1.  In  1830  he  was  graduated  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary,  and  soon 
after  he  became  pastor  of  the  Laight  Street 
Presbyterian  Church,  New  York  city, 
where  he  served  with  distinction  until  he 
resigned  his  charge  in  184 1.  In  1842  he 
took  orders  in  the  Church,  of  which  to 
the  day  of  his  death  he  was  a  loyal 
son.  Reasons  for  becoming  a  churchman 
and  the  motives  which  impelled  him  are 
set  forth  in  a  striking  and  graphic  manner  in 
his  monumental  book,  "  A  Presbyterian 
Clergyman  Looking  For  the  Church,"  a 
work  of  marked  ability  and  of  great  utility. 
It  had  a  large  sale  in  his  day,  and  it  is  still 
sought  after  as  a  book  of  permanent  value. 
It  is  a  strong  plea  for  Apostolic  Order  and 
Liturgical  Worship,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
it  has  been  instrumental  in  leading  many  an 
inquirer  into  the  "  old  paths  "  and  the  Faith 
as  "  once  delivered  to  the  Saints."  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Mines,  after  his  ordination,  became  as- 
sistant minister  in  St.  George's  Church,  New 
York  city,  under  Rev.  Dr.  James  Milnor. 
From   here   he    went   to   the   Danish    West 


THE  CONVENTION  229 

Indies  and  became  Rector  of  St.  Paul's 
Parish,  Fredericksted,  St.  Croix,  about  forty 
miles  square  and  embracing  almost  half  of 
the  island.  Owing  to  failing  health  he  re- 
turned,- after  many  arduous  labours,  to  the 
United  States,  and  became  Rector  of  St. 
Luke's  Church,  Rossville,  Staten  Island.  He 
went  finally  to  San  Francisco,  where  he 
preached  for  the  first  time  on  July  8th,  1849, 
in  the  midst  of  the  gold  excitement,  and  on 
July  22nd  of  this  same  year,  became  the 
founder  of  Trinity  Parish,  where  his  hon- 
oured name  is  still  held  in  grateful  remem- 
brance, not  merely  by  some  of  the  twenty- 
two  original  members,  who  still  live,  but  by 
their  children  and  grandchildren.  The  first 
Trinity  Church  was  located  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Post  and  Powell  Streets.  It  was  a 
modest  building,  which,  in  1867,  gave  place 
to  an  edifice,  Gothic  in  design,  costing  $85,- 
000.  A  few  years  ago  the  present  Trinity 
Church  was  erected  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  Bush  and  Gough  Streets,  with  ample 
grounds  for  parish  buildings.  This  sacred 
edifice  is  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  churches 
on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  is  a  combination  of 


230       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Spanish  and  Byzantine  styles  of  architecture. 
It  was  designed  by  A.  Paige  Brown,  who 
was  the  architect  of  the  California  building 
at  the  Columbian  Exposition,  in  Chicago, 
and  also  of  the  new  Bethesda  Church,  Sara- 
toga Springs,  N.  Y.  I  have  thus  dwelt  with 
particularity  on  the  Rev.  Flavel  Scott  Mines's 
life  and  work,  because  Trinity  Parish  is  the 
mother  of  all  the  other  Parishes  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  because  here  in  this  new  edifice, 
where  there  is  a  tablet  to  his  memory,  and 
where  he  is  buried,  the  General  Convention 
was  held  in  1901,  a  council  of  the  Church 
which  will  ever  be  memorable.  It  is  well 
also  to  rescue  from  oblivion  the  memory  of 
a  man  who  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
Church  in  California  on  the  enduring  prin- 
ciples of  the  ancient  creeds.  May  we  not 
learn  also  from  the  facts  of  his  life,  which 
show  how  faithful  and  accomplished  he  was, 
that  the  men  who  are  to  be  heralds  of  the 
Cross  in  new  fields  are  to  be  the  ablest  and 
the  best  equipped  that  the  Church  can  fur- 
nish? Other  early  missionaries  of  the 
Church  who  may  be  named  here  are  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Ver  Mehr,  who  arrived  in  San  Fran- 


THE  CONVENTION  231 

cisco  in  September,  1849,  and  in  1850 
founded  Grace  Parish ;  and  Rev.  John  Mor- 
gan, who  organised  Christ  Church  Parish  in 
1853;  and  Rev.  Dr.  Christopher  B.  Wyatt, 
who  succeeded  Mines  in  Trinity  Church. 
There  is  another  also  whose  name  is  inter- 
woven in  the  history  of  the  Church's  mission 
in  California.  It  is  that  of  Right  Rev.  Will- 
iam Ingraham  Kip,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  who  was 
consecrated  first  Bishop  of  California,  Octo- 
ber 28,  1853.  Few,  if  any,  of  his  day,  were 
better  fitted  in  scholarship,  zeal,  and  other 
gifts  and  qualifications  for  his  work  than  he, 
who  is  the  famous  author  of  "  The  Double 
Witness  of  the  Church,"  a  book  which  has 
largely  moulded  the  faith  and  practice  of  the 
churchmen  of  this  generatiion.  Bishop  Kip's 
immortal  work  and  Mines's  incomparable 
volume  deserve  to  be  ranked  together,  and 
though  they  differ  widely  in  their  manner  of 
presenting  the  Old  Faith,  yet  are  they  one  in 
purpose.  Is  it  not  a  litle  singular,  or  is  it 
not  rather  a  happy  coincidence,  that  the  two 
foremost  pioneers  of  the  Church's  work  in 
California  should  thus  be  the  authors  of 
works    which  are    fit    to    take    rank    with 


232       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  Apologiai  of  the  early  Christian  writers 
or  the  "  Apologia  pro  Ecclesia  Anglicana  " 
of  Bishop  Jewell  ? 

Mines  went  to  his  rest  in  1852,  just  in  the 
prime  of  life,  while  Kip  was  spared  to  the 
Church  until  1893,  witnessing  its  great  in- 
crease and  reaping  the  abundant  harvest 
from  that  early  sowing.  The  growth  is  seen 
to-day  in  the  three  dioceses  in  the  State. 
California,  the  parent  diocese,  with  San 
Francisco  as  its  chief  city,  Right  Rev.  Will- 
iam Ford  Nichols,  D.D.,  Bishop,  has  its 
eighty-one  clergymen,  with  its  eighty-six 
parishes  and  missions,  and  8,585  communi- 
cants. Los  Angeles,  Right  Rev.  Joseph 
Horsfall  Johnson,  D.D.,  Bishop,  has  its 
forty-nine  clergy,  with  its  fifty-six  parishes 
and  missions,  and  4,577  communicants; 
while  Sacramento,  Right  Rev.  William  Hall 
Moreland,  D.D.,  Bishop,  has  thirty-four 
clergymen  with  seventy  parishes  and  mis- 
sions, and  a  list  of  2,556  communicants.  All 
this,  however,  is  not  the  full  evidence  of  the 
strength  of  the  Church  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
There  are  the  church  schools  and  hospitals 
and  other  agencies  for  good,  and  there  are 


THE  CONVENTION  233 

the  blessed  influences  which  the  Church,  with 
her  stability  and  order  and  work,  is  exerting 
among  the  people.  The  results  arising  from 
the  presence  of  the  members  of  the  General 
Convention  will  be  gratifying.  Everywhere 
throughout  the  State  of  California  this  au- 
gust body  was  hailed  with  a  glad  welcome, 
and  San  Francisco  and  her  suburban  towns 
did  everything  possible  to  make  churchmen 
feel  at  home.  The  attendance  at  services 
was  large,  and  a  deep  and  an  abiding  interest 
was  enkindled.  It  was  said  by  the  press  and 
by  leading  citizens,  that  while  many  bodies 
had  met  in  San  Francisco  from  all  parts  of 
the  land,  none  had  ever  surpassed  in  standard 
that  of  the  Convention  or  even  equalled  it  in 
dignity,  scholarship,  eloquence  and  other 
noted  characteristics.  The  newspapers  of  the 
city,  such  as  the  Daily  Call  and  the  Chron- 
icle, gave  up  large  space  to  the  services,  de- 
bates and  other  features  of  the  Convention, 
and  they  were  always  complimentary  in  their 
comments  on  individuals  as  well  as  on  recep- 
tions and  sermons  and  addresses.  The  key- 
note of  the  Convention  was  struck  by  the 
Right  Rev.  Benjamin  Wistar  Morris,  D.D., 


234       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Bishop  of  Oregon,  in  his  sermon  based  on 
St.  Luke,  chapter  v,  verse  4 : — "  Now  when 
He  had  left  speaking,  He  said  unto  Simon, 
Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and  let  down  your 
nets  for  a  draught."  The  discourse  was  in 
every  sense  what  the  venerable  prelate  had 
said  it  would  be,  a  "  Western  "  one,  and  it 
was  a  powerful  plea  setting  forth  the  urgent 
necessity  of  extending  and  supporting  the 
Church  in  her  missionary  efforts  in  the  Pa- 
cific coast  States. 

The  attendance  of  members  in  the  House 
of  Deputies  was  unusually  large,  and  while 
some  familiar  faces  were  missed,  like  Dean 
Hoffman,  of  the  General  Theological  Semi- 
nary; Rev.  Dr.  Morgan  Dix,  of  Trinity 
Parish,  New  York;  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  A. 
Renouf,  of  Keene,  N.  H. ;  Rev.  Dr.  W.  W. 
BattershalL  of  Albany,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  Spencer 
Trask,  of  Yaddo,  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y. ; 
Mr.  Louis  Hasbrouck,  of  Ogdensburgh,  N. 
Y. ;  Mr.  G.  P.  Keese,  of  Cooperstown,  N.  Y. ; 
and  Judge  Robert  Earl,  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y., 
yet  the  personnel  of  the  Convention  was  up 
to  the  usual  standard.  The  new  deputies, 
clerical  and  lay,  felt  at  home  at  once,  and 


THE  CONVENTION  235 

some  of  them  made  good  reputations  for 
themselves  in  debate  and  in  committee-work. 
It  would  seem  invidious,  perhaps,  to  single 
out  any  one  deputy  more  than  another,  when 
all  excelled,  yet  the  names  of  some  of  the 
representative  clergymen  and  laymen  of  the 
Church  may  justly  be  mentioned,  as  for  ex- 
ample, Rev.  Dr.  John  S.  Lindsay,  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  the  distinguished  and  well-balanced 
President  of  the  House;  Rev.  Dr.  Arthur 
Lawrence,  of  Stockbridge,  Mass. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Reese  F.  Alsop,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ;  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  Houston  Eccleston,  of  Baltimore,  Md. ; 
Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  D.  McConnell,  of  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr.  J.  S.  Hodges,  of  Balti- 
more, Md. ;  Rev.  Dr.  George  Hodges,  of 
Cambridge,  Mass. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Cameron  Mann, 
of  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  Rev.  Dr.  James  W. 
Ashton,  of  Olean,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Robert 
J.  Nevin,  of  Rome,  Italy;  Rev.  Dr.  John 
Fulton,  of  The  Church  Standard,  Philadel- 
phia, Pa. ;  Rev.  Dr.  William  B.  Bodine,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  S.  Olm- 
stead,  of  Bala,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Dr.  George  Mc- 
Clellan  Fiske,  of  Providence,  R.  I. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Edgar  A.  Enos,  of  Troy,  N.  Y. ;    Rev.  Dr. 


236       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

J.  Lewis  Parks  and  Rev.  Dr.  William  M. 
Grosvenor  of  New  York;  Rev.  Dr.  R.  M. 
Kirby,  of  Potsdam,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr.  John 
H.  Egar,  of  Rome,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr.  George 
D.  Silliman,  of  Stockport,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
John  Brainard,  of  Auburn,  N.  Y. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
H.  Martyn  Hart,  of  Denver,  Col. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Edwin  S.  Lines,  of  New  Haven,  Conn ;  Rev. 
Dr.  Daniel  C.  Roberts,  of  Concord,  N.  H. ; 
Rev.  Dr.  Alfred  B.  Baker,  of  Princeton, 
N.  J. ;  Rev.  George  S.  Bennitt,  of  Jersey 
City,  N.  J. ;  Rev.  Dr.  J.  Isham  Bliss,  of  Bur- 
lington, Vt. ;  Rev.  John  Henry  Hopkins,  of 
Chicago,  111. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Campbell  Fair,  of 
Omaha,  Neb.;  Rev.  John  Williams,  of 
Omaha,  Neb. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Frederick  W.  Clam- 
pett,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal ;  Rev.  R.  G. 
Foute,  of  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Angus  Crawford,  of  Alexandria  Seminary, 
Va. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Randolph  H.  McKim,  of 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Frederick  P. 
Davenport,  of  Memphis,  Tenn. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Alex.  Mackay-Smith,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ; 
Rev.  Henry  B.  Restarick.  of  San  Diego, 
Cal. ;  Rev.  B.  W.  R.  Tayler,  of  Los  Angeles, 
Cal.;    Rev.   Dr.   David  H.   Greer,  of  New 


THE  CONVENTION  237 

York;  Rev.  Dr.  William  R.  Huntington,  of 
New  York ;  Rev.  Dr.  Beverly  D.  Tucker,  of 
Norfolk,  Va. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Carl  E.  Grammer, 
of  Norfolk,  Va. ;  Rev.  Dr.  William  T.  Man- 
ning, of  Nashville,  Tenn. ;  Rev.  Frederick 
A.  De  Rosset,  of  Cairo,  111. ;  Rev.  Richard 
P.  Williams,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Rev. 
Dr.  Henry  W.  Nelson,  of  Geneva,  N.  Y. ; 
Rev.  Dr.  John  Kershaw,  of  Charleston, 
S.  C. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Herman  C.  Duncan,  of 
Alexandria,  La. ;  Rev.  Dr.  John  K.  Mason, 
of  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Walter  R. 
Gardner,  of  Algoma,  Wis. ;  Rev.  Dr.  George 
C.  Hall,  of  Wilmington,  Del;  Rev.  J.  L. 
MoKim,  of  Milford,  Del. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Henry 
L.  Jones,  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pa. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
George  C.  Foley,  of  Williamsport,  Pa. ;  Rev. 
Dr.  Storrs  0.  Seymour,  of  Litchfield,  Conn. ; 
Rev.  Dr.  Charles  E.  Craik,  of  Louisville, 
Ky. ;  Rev.  C.  S.  Lefringwell,  of  Bar  Har- 
bour, Me.;  Rev.  Dr.  Rufus  W.  Clark,  of 
Detroit,  Mich. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Lucius  Waterman, 
of  Claremont,  N.  H. ;  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  H. 
Oberly,  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J. ;  Rev.  Julian 
E.  Ingle,  of  Henderson,  N.  C. ;  Rev.  Dr. 
Charles  L.   Hutchins,   of    Concord,   Mass., 


238       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  efficient  Secretary,  always  patient  and 
courteous ;  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Anstice,  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. ;  Rev.  Edward  W.  Worthing- 
ton,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  Rev.  William 
C.  Prout.  of  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  Assistant 
Secretaries;  Mr.  George  M.  Darrow,  of 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn. ;  Dr.  William  Seward 
Webb,  of  Shelburne,  Vt. ;  Mr.  Henry  E. 
Pellew,  of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Mr.  Linden 
H.  Morehouse,  of  Milwaukee,  Wis,  of  The 
Young  Churchman  Co. ;  Judge  James  M. 
Woolworth,  of  Omaha,  Neb. ;  Mr.  Burton 
Mansfield,  of  New  Haven,  Conn. ;  Hon. 
Cortlandt  Parker,  of  Newark,  N.  J. ;  Judge 
Charles  Andrews,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
John  I.  Thompson,  of  Troy,  N.  Y. ;  Mr. 
Leslie  Pell-Clarke,  of  Springfield  Centre, 
N.  Y. ;  Hon.  George  R.  Fairbanks,  of  Fer- 
nandina,  Fla. ;  Judge  L.  Bradford  Prince,  of 
Santa  Fe,  N.  M. ;  Hon.  Francis  A.  Lewis,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa. ;  Hon.  Francis  L.  Stetson, 
of  New  York;  Mr.  George  C.  Thomas,  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of 
Missions ;  Hon.  W.  Bayard  Cutting,  of  New 
York ;  Judge  John  H.  Stiness,  of  Providence, 
R.  I. ;    Hon.  Joseph  Packard,  of  Baltimore, 


THE  CONVENTION  239 

Md. ;  Hon.  Charles  G.  Saunders,  of  Law- 
rence, Mass. ;  Hon.  Arthur  J.  C.  Sowdon, 
and  Hon.  Robert  Treat  Paine,  of  Boston, 
Mass;  Mr.  William  B.  Hooper,  of  San 
Francisco;  Mr.  Henry  P.  Baldwin,  of  De- 
troit, Mich. ;  Mr.  Francis  J.  McMaster,  of 
St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Mr.  William  H.  Lightner, 
of  St.  Paul,  Minn. ;  Mr.  Richard  H.  Battle, 
of  Raleigh,  N.  C. ;  Hon.  G.  S.  Gadsden,  of 
Charleston,  S.  C. ;  Mr.  George  Truesdell, 
of  Washington,  D.  C. ;  Mr.  George  M.  Mar- 
shall, of  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah;  and  Mr, 
Joseph  Wilmer,  of  Alexandria  Seminary, 
Va.  There  is  one  other  name  which  must 
not  be  omitted,  that  of  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Mor- 
gan, of  New  York  city,  who,  notwithstand- 
ing his  vast  business  interests,  was  in  his 
seat  from  the  opening  of  the  Convention 
until  the  closing  session,  watching  all  the 
debates  and  deliberations  with  the  deepest 
interest,  and  serving  on  various  important 
committees.  Many  of  the  members  of  the 
Convention,  too,  were  deeply  indebted  to 
him  for  a  gracious  hospitality  dispensed  by 
him  in  his  magnificent  temporary  home  on 
California  Avenue. 


240       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

To  name  the  Bishops  who  in  one  way  and 
another  made  their  presence  felt  in  their  own 
House,  in  the  Board  of  Missions  and  else- 
where, at  meetings  and  in  services,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  speak  of  all  who  were  in  at- 
tendance on  the  Convention.  Those  who 
were  specially  active,  however,  were  Bishop 
William  Croswell  Doane,  of  Albany; 
Bishop  Henry  Codman  Potter,  of  New 
York;  Bishop  Daniel  Sylvester  Tuttle.  of 
Missouri;  Bishop  Benjamin  Wistar  Morris, 
of  Oregon ;  Bishop  Thomas  Underwood 
Dudley,  of  Kentucky;  Bishop  Ozi  William 
Whitaker,  of  Pennsylvania ;  Bishop  Cort- 
landt  Whitehead,  of  Pittsburg;  Bishop  John 
Scarborough,  of  New  Jersey ;  Bishop  George 
Franklin  Seymour,  of  Springfield ;  Bishop 
William  David  Walker,  of  Western  New 
York;  Bishop  Leighton  Coleman,  of  Dela- 
ware; Bishop  Samuel  David  Ferguson,  of 
Cape  Palmas ;  Bishop  Ellison  Capers,  of 
South  Carolina ;  Bishop  Theodore  Nevin 
Morrison,  of  Iowa;  Bishop  Lewis  William 
Burton,  of  Lexington ;  Bishop  Sidney  Cat- 
liri  Partridge,  of  Kyoto;  Bishop  Peter 
Trimble  Rowe,  of  Alaska ;    Bishop  William 


THE  CONVENTION  241 

Frederick  Taylor,  of  Quincy;  Bishop  Will- 
iam Crane  Gray,  of  Southern  Florida; 
Bishop  Ethelbert  Talbot,  of  Central  Penn- 
sylvania; Bishop  James  Steptoe  Johnston, 
of  Western  Texas;  Bishop  Anson  Rogers 
Graves,  of  Laramie;  Bishop  Edward  Rob- 
ert Atwill,  of  West  Missouri ;  Bishop  Will- 
iam N.  McVickar,  of  Rhode  Island;  Bishop 
William  Lawrence,  of  Massachusetts 
Bishop  Arthur  C.  A.  Hall,  of  Vermont 
Bishop  William  Andrew  Leonard,  of  Ohio 
Bishop  James  Dow  Morrison,  of  Duluth 
Bishop  Henry  Yates  Satterlee,  of  Washing- 
ton ;  Bishop  Charles  C.  Grafton,  of  Fond  du 
Lac;  Bishop  Abiel  Leonard,  of  Salt  Lake; 
Bishop  Isaac  Lea  Nicholson,  of  Milwaukee; 
Bishop  Cleland  Kinlock  Nelson,  of  Georgia, 
and  Bishop  Thomas  F.  Gailor,  of  Tennessee. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Will- 
iam Ford  Nichols,  of  California,  who  was 
the  host  of  the  Convention,  was  prominent 
in  all  gatherings,  and  that  his  guiding  hand 
was  seen  in  all  the  admirable  arrangements 
made  for  meetings  and  services.  He  was 
ably  seconded  by  Bishop  Johnson,  of  Los 
Angeles,  and  Bishop   Moreland,   of  Sacra- 


242       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

mento.  Some  faces  were  sadly  missed,  as 
for  example,  Bishop  Niles,  of  New  Hamp- 
shire; Bishop  Huntington,  of  Central  New 
York;  Bishop  Worthington,  of  Nebraska; 
Bishop  Spaulding,  of  Colorado ;  and  the  Pre- 
siding Bishop,  Right  Rev.  Thomas  March 
Clark,  of  Rhode  Island.  The  Secretary  of 
the  House  of  Bishops,  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel 
Hart,  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  was  a  conspic- 
uous figure  in  the  Convention,  and  he  and 
his  assistants,  Rev.  Dr.  George  F.  Nelson, 
of  New  York,  and  Rev.  Thomas  J.  Packard, 
of  Washington,  were  often  seen  in  the  House 
of  Deputies,  bearing  official  messages. 

In  addition  to  the  regular  business  of  the 
Convention,  there  were  discussions  of  a  high 
order  on  such  matters  as  Amendments  to  the 
Constitution,  the  enactment  of  New  Canons, 
Admission  of  New  Dioceses,  Marriage  and 
Divorce,  and  Marginal  Readings  in  the  Bi- 
ble. The  Report  of  the  Commission  on  Mar- 
ginal Readings  was  finally  adopted,  with 
some  modifications,  after  an  animated  de- 
bate, to  the  great  satisfaction  of  many 
who  felt  the  need  of  such  a  help  in 
reading  the  Holy  Scriptures.     At  times  the 


THE  CONVENTION  243 

speakers,  both  lay  and  clerical,  rose  to  heights 
of  fervid  oratory,  and  it  was  an  education 
to  listen  to  men  who  were  thoroughly  versed 
in  the  themes  which  they  handled.  The  Mis- 
sions of  the  Church  were  not  neglected  in  the 
midst  of  the  exciting  debates  of  the  Conven- 
tion, and  an  important  step  was  taken  when 
the  Board  resolved  to  adopt  the  Apportion- 
ment Plan,  by  which  each  diocese  and  mis- 
sionary jurisdiction  would  be  called  on  to 
raise  a  definite  sum  of  money.  This,  it  was 
felt,  would  relieve  the  Board  from  the  bur- 
den of  indebtedness,  and  would  enable  the 
Church  to  originate  new  work.  No  more 
earnest  advocates  of  this  plan  could  be  found 
in  the  meetings  of  the  two  Houses  of  Con- 
vention as  the  Board  of  Missions,  than  in 
Bishop  Brewer  of  Montana  and  Mr.  George 
C.  Thomas,  the  Treasurer.  Their  words  were 
forcible  and  their  manner  magnetic.  Bishop 
Doane's  eloquent  advocacy  of  the  measure 
also  led  to  happy  results. 

In  this  chapter  on  the  Triennial  Council 
of  the  Church  held  in  San  Francisco,  we 
must  not  omit  to  make  mention  of  the  United 
Offering  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  to  the 


244       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Board  of  Missions.  The  women  of  the 
Church  specially  devoted  to  its  missionary- 
work  had  been  gradually  increasing  their 
forces  and  activities  and  offerings.  When 
they  last  met,  in  the  city  of  Washington, 
D.  C,  three  years  before,  they  presented  the 
goodly  sum  of  $83,000;  but  now  in  San 
Francisco  they  were  to  surpass  their  previous 
efforts.  They  were  to  show  forth  the  fruits 
of  more  earnest  labours  and  richer  giving. 
They  established  their  headquarters  at  1609 
Sutter  street,  in  a  commodious  dwelling 
house,  not  far  from  Trinity  Church,  where 
the  Convention  was  in  session.  Here  vari- 
ous rooms  were  fitted  up  with  handiwork  and 
other  products  of  missionary  labour  from  the 
numerous  fields  where  the  Church,  in  obedi- 
ence to  her  Lord's  command,  is  engaged  in 
sowing  beside  all  waters ;  and  no  one  could 
walk  through  these  artistic  chambers  adorn- 
ed with  the  work  of  the  Indians  of  Alaska 
and  the  dwellers  of  the  South  Seas,  the  con- 
verts of  India,  of  China  and  Japan,  as 
well  as  Mexico  and  other  regions,  without 
being  filled  with  admiration.  Various  dio- 
ceses also  of  the  Church  exhibited  pictures 


THE  CONVENTION  245 

of  sacred  edifices  showing  different  styles  of 
architecture.  There  were  also  photographs 
of  noted  missionaries,  pioneer  bishops  and 
other  clergy  in  the  collection.  Here  indeed 
was  an  object  lesson,  and  in  all  these  works 
was  manifested  a  spirit  of  enterprise  most 
commendable.  Different  countries  were  thus 
brought  together  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
the  student  of  Missions  realise  the  fact  that 
the  Church  had  indeed  gone  into  all  lands 
and  that  the  Gentiles  were  walking  in  the 
light  of  Him  Who  is  the  life  of  men.  While 
there  were  important  meetings  held  by  the 
Auxiliary,  and  special  services  were  arranged 
for  its  members,  the  greatest  interest  natu- 
rally centered  in  the  service  held  in  Grace 
Church  on  Thursday,  October  3rd,  when  the 
United  Offering  for  the  three  years  ended, 
was  laid  on  the  Altar  of  God.  Six  clergymen 
gathered  the  alms,  and  bearing  them  to  the 
chancel,  they  were  received  in  the  large  gold 
Basin  which  some  years  ago  was  presented 
to  the  American  Church  by  the  Church  of 
England.  This  Alms  Basin  is  three  feet  in 
diameter,  and  is  an  object  of  great  interest  as 
well  as  value.      It  is  used  only  at  grand  func- 


246       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

tions,  such  as  the  meetings  of  the  General 
Convention.  It  was  an  occasion  of  great  re- 
joicing as  well  as  a  cause  for  devout  gratitude 
when  the  magnificent  sum  of  one  hundred 
and  four  thousand  dollars  was  reverently 
placed  on  the  Altar.  Behind  all  this  was  the 
love  which  made  the  large  offering  possible, 
behind  it  too  the  devotion  which  at  this  most 
significant  and  inspiring  service,  led  fully  a 
thousand  faithful  women  to  draw  nigh  to 
their  divine  Lord  in  that  blessed  Eucharist 
which  quickens  the  soul  into  newness  of  life. 
The  sermon  at  the  service  of  the  United  Of- 
fering was  preached  by  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Nich- 
ols, Bishop  of  California,  from  St.  Luke, 
chapter  ii,  verses  22-24,  and  was  one  0I  re~ 
markable  power,  rehearsing  the  righteous 
acts  and  noble  deeds  wrought  by  women  in 
all  ages. 

One  of  the  most  noted  meetings  during 
the  sessions  of  the  Convention  was  held  in 
Mechanics'  Pavilion,  on  the  evening  of  Tues- 
day, October  8th.  It  was  probably  the  great- 
est gathering  ever  brought  together  on  the 
Pacific  coast  in  the  interest  of  Missions  or  of 
Religion.     There  were  not  less  than  seven 


THE  CONVENTION  247 

thousand  persons  present  during  the  evening 
in  the  great  hall,  whose  arches  rang  from  time 
to  time  with  applause  at  the  sentiments  of  the 
speakers,  and  echoed  and  re-echoed  the  stir- 
ring missionary  hymns  sung  by  the  vast  mul- 
titude as  led  by  the  vested  choirs  of  the  vari- 
ous parishes  in  San  Francisco.  It  is  said 
that  this  enthusiastic  gathering  of  all  ranks 
was  equalled  only  by  the  thousands  who  had 
assembled  here  only  a  short  time  before  to 
pay  honours  to  the  memory  of  President  Mc- 
Kinley,  whom  the  people  loved.  Bishop 
Doane  of  Albany  presided  with  his  accus- 
tomed tact  and  force,  and,  after  suitable  de- 
votions, introduced  the  four  speakers.  The 
first  of  those  who  addressed  the  assemblage 
was  the  Right  Rev.  Edgar  Jacob,  D.D.,  the 
Lord  Bishop  of  Newcastle,  who  represented 
the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He  said  that 
there  were  four  methods  of  spreading  the 
Gospel  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  the 
Master,  "  Go,  make  disciples  of  all  people 
of  the  earth."  These  are  the  evangelistic, 
the  educational,  the  medical,  and  the  mag- 
netic. Of  this  last  he  said,  "  It  is  that  the 
society  should  attract  the  individual.  The  in- 


248       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

fluence  of  the  individual  must  be  followed 
by  the  influence  of  the  society."  Bishop 
Potter  of  New  York  followed  in  his  usual 
happy  vein.  Then  came  the  eloquent  Bishop 
of  Kyoto,  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Sidney  C.  Par- 
tridge, and  after  him  Burton  Mansfield,  rep- 
resenting the  laity,  who  spoke  about  "  Re- 
quickened  Faith  as  necessary  to  all." 

During  the  last  week  of  the  Convention 
there  were  some  special  reunions  of  colleges 
and  theological  seminaries.  Among  the  most 
interesting  of  these,  that  of  the  Philadelphia 
Divinity  School,  with  Bishop  Whitaker  pre- 
siding, may  be  mentioned,  and  also  that  of 
St.  Stephen's  College,  Annandale,  with  its 
first  Warden,  Bishop  Seymour,  at  the  head 
of  the  table.  Bishop  Dudley  honoured  the 
gathering  of  alumni  at  this  banquet,  in  the 
Occidental  Hotel,  with  his  presence,  and 
Warden  Lawrence  T.  Cole  was  a  prominent 
figure. 

The  Convention  attracted  to  San  Fran- 
cisco several  well-known  clergymen  who,  al- 
though not  deputies,  were  nevertheless  deep- 
ly interested  listeners,  in  the  galleries  and  on 
the  floor  of  the  House,  during  the  sessions, 


THE  CONVENTION  249 

and  were  also  participants  in  services  and 
missionary  gatherings.  Among  these  was 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Lawrence  T.  Cole,  the  energetic 
Warden  of  St.  Stephen's  College,  Annan- 
dale,  N.  Y.,  of  whom  we  have  already  spo- 
ken. There  was  also  in  attendance  the  Rev. 
A.  Burtis  Hunter,  Principal  of  St.  Augus- 
tine's School  for  Coloured  Students,  in  Ra- 
leigh, N.  C.  In  this  Church  Institute  Rev. 
Mr.  Hunter  and  his  excellent  wife  are  doing 
a  grand  work  for  the  negro  people  of  the 
South,  on  lines  somewhat  similar  to  those 
followed  by  Booker  T.  Washington  at  Tus- 
keegee.  We  also  noticed  at  the  Convention 
and  Missionary  Services  the  Rev.  William 
Wilmerding  Moir,  B.D.,  the  zealous  mis- 
sionary at  Lake  Placid,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Dio- 
cese of  Albany.  His  Missions,  which  have 
been  phenomenal  in  their  growth,  are  St. 
Eustace-by-the-Lakes  and  St.  Hubert's-at- 
Newman.  Under  his  sowing  beside  all  wa- 
ters, the  Adirondack  wilderness,  in  the  field 
committed  to  him,  is  blossoming  as  the 
rose.  Never  was  missionary  more  inde- 
fatigable and  self-denying  than  he,  and  his 
rich  reward  now  is  in  the  possession  of  the 


250       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

confidence  and  love  of  his  flock.  It  shows 
what  a  true  and  beautiful  life  can  accomplish 
for  the  Divine  Master  and  for  the  souls  of 
perishing  men,  when  the  apostolic  injunction 
is  observed  to  the  letter, — "  Let  this  mind  be 
in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus." 
This  is  indeed  the  true  spirit  in  all  mission- 
ary labours;  and,  thank  God,  it  animates 
the  Church  in  all  its  fulness,  as  evidenced 
here  in  San  Francisco  in  the  devising-  of 
methods  for  the  extension  of  the  Gospel  of 
the  Kingdom ! 

During  the  last  hour  of  the  final  session  of 
the  Convention,  Rev.  Dr.  William  R.  Hunt- 
ington, Rector  of  Grace  Church,  New 
York  city,  a  man  whom  every  one  who 
knows  him  respects  and  honours  for  his 
learning,  his  eloquence,  his  integrity,  his 
character  as  a  man,  his  devotion  as  a 
Clergyman  to  the  Church,  and  his  love 
for  his  Divine  Master,  created  a  sensation 
by  a  speech  which  he  made.  Indeed  it  was 
dramatic  in  its  character,  and  it  made  a  pro- 
found impression  on  all  who  heard  it.  As  he 
spoke,  a  deep  silence  came  over  the  members 
of  the  House.     As  is  well  known,  Dr.  Hunt- 


THE  CONVENTION  251 

ington  has  for  years  advocated  an  amend- 
ment to  Article  X  of  the  Constitution  by 
which  there  should  be  given  to  the  Bishops 
of  the  Church  the  spiritual  oversight  of  con- 
gregations not  in  communion  with  the 
Church,  allowing  the  Bishops  to  provide 
services  for  them  other  than  those  of  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  This  subject  was 
debated  at  length,  and  at  last,  to  harmonise 
all  interests,  a  Committee  of  Conference  was 
appointed  from  both  Houses.  Finally  the 
Committee  reported  two  resolutions  for 
adoption, — the  first,  that  Article  X  of  the 
Constitution  is  to  be  so  interpreted  as  not 
restricting  the  authority  of  the  Bishops,  act- 
ing under  the  Canons  of  the  General  Con- 
vention, to  provide  special  forms  of  wor- 
ship ;  and  the  second,  that  the  Bishops  have 
the  right  to  take  under  their  spiritual  over- 
sight congregations  of  Christian  people  not 
in  union  with  the  Church,  and  that  the  use 
of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  is  not  obliga- 
tory for  such  congregations,  but  no  such 
congregations  shall  be  admitted  into  union 
with  a  Diocesan  Convention  until  organised 
as  a  Parish  and  making  use  of  the  Book  of 


252       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

Common  Prayer.  The  first  was  adopted, 
and  the  second  lost.  Dr.  Huntington  then 
arose  and  moved  a  reconsideration  of  the 
vote  on  the  Report  of  the  Committee  of  Con- 
ference. Having  made  his  motion,  he  said, 
with  evident  feeling  and  pathos  in  his  voice : 
"  I  may  perhaps  be  allowed  in  advocating 
this  motion  to  say  a  single  word  of  a  per- 
sonal character,  or  partially  of  a  personal 
character.  I  desire  to  say  that  I  entertain 
the  same  faith  in  the  final  victory  of  the 
principles  which  I  have  had  the  honour  to 
advocate  in  three  previous  Conventions  that 
I  ever  have  entertained.  Individuals  may 
rebuke  me  because  of  too  great  persistency 
and  because  of  too  much  presumption.  Great 
measures,  if  I  may  be  pardoned  in  using  a 
political  phrase,  may  be  turned  down  for  the 
time.  They  cannot  be  turned  down  for  all 
time.  You  have  chosen  your  course  for  the 
present  with  reference  to  the  great  question 
of  the  opening  century.  I  acquiesce.  I  re- 
sign to  younger  hands  the  torch.  I  surren- 
der the  leadership  which  has  been  graciously 
accorded  me  by  many  clerical  and  lay  mem- 
bers of  this  House.     The  measure  I  advo- 


THE  CONVENTION  253 

cated  has  been  known  as  the  iridescent  dream. 
I  remember  who  they  were  who  said,  we 
shall  see  what  will  become  of  his  dream.  In 
time  they  saw.  But  for  the  present  it  is 
otherwise.  The  Chicago-Lambeth  platform 
has  been  turned  down,  and  what  I  hope  I 
may  characterise  without  offence  as  the  Ox- 
ford-Milwaukee platform  is  for  the  time  in 
the  ascendant.  I  accept  the  fact.  My  '  iri- 
descent dream  '  shall  disturb  their  dreams 
no  more.  I  recall  a  saying  of  my  old  friend 
Father  Fidele,  whom  we  used  to  know  in 
our  college  days  as  James  Kent  Stone.  When 
he  went  over  to  Rome  he  wrote  a  book  with 
the  title,  '  The  Invitation  Heeded,'  and  the 
best  thing  in  it  was  this :  '  I  thank  heaven 
that  I  have  reached  a  Church  where  there  is 
no  longer  any  nervousness  about  the  General 
Convention.'  There  is  no  probability,  sir, 
of  my  heeding  the  invitation  that  he  heeded, 
but  henceforth  I  share  his  peace."  The  mo- 
tion to  reconsider  the  vote  by  which  the  first 
resolution  of  the  Committee  of  Conference 
was  adopted,  was  lost;  and  then  Dr.  Hunt- 
ington retired  from  the  House.  Soon  after 
the  Bishops  sent  to  the  Deputies  in  Message 


254       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

93,  the  same  Resolutions  as  having  been 
adopted  by  them,  and  asking  the  House  of 
Deputies  to  concur.  The  motion  prevailed 
by  a  large  vote,  and  the  victory  came  for  the 
good  Doctor,  who  thought  he  was  defeated 
for  the  present,  much  sooner  than  he  had  ex- 
pected. 

The  closing  service  of  the  Convention,  on 
Thursday  afternoon,  October  the  17th,  was 
a  memorable  one.  The  imposing  array  of 
Bishops  in  their  robes,  the  presence  of  the 
House  of  clerical  and  lay  deputies,  and  the 
hundreds  of  San  Francisco's  citizens  who 
thronged  Trinity  Church,  together  with  the 
inspiring  hymns  and  the  reading  of  the  Pas- 
toral Letter  by  Bishop  Dudley,  who  used  his 
voice  with  great  effect,  made  a  lasting  im- 
pression on  all  present.  With  the  solemn 
benediction  by  Bishop  Tuttle  at  6:  30  p.  m., 
the  great  Council  of  1901  was  a  thing  of  the 
past,  but  though  its  sessions  were  ended  and 
become  a  matter  of  history,  its  effect  could 
not  be  undervalued.  It  was  a  great  advant- 
age to  the  churchmen  from  all  parts  of  the 
land  to  meet  in  San  Francisco.  In  their  jour- 
neyings  from  the  East  and  other  portions  of 


THE  CONVENTION  255 

the  country  between  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains  they  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  studying  the  far  West,  and  they 
realised  more  than  ever  how  great  is  the  ex- 
tent of  the  country,  how  inexhaustible  its 
resources ;  and  they  were  stirred  up  to 
greater  missionary  activity  and  more  lib- 
eral giving.  The  wide  domain  between  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierras  and  the 
rich  valleys  of  California  bordering  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  inviting  enterprising  agri- 
culturalists from  all  sides,  were  indeed  an 
object  lesson.  The  civilisation  of  the  West 
too  is  the  civilisation  of  the  East,  and  the 
Church,  with  her  adaptability,  is  as  much  at 
home  by  the  Golden  Gate  as  in  New  York  or 
Boston  or  Philadelphia.  The  Convention 
will  help  the  Church  in  California.  Its  influ- 
ences have  gone  out  among  the  people  in 
healing  streams.  Its  character  and  work  were 
a  revelation  to  the  populations  by  the  Pacific ; 
and  already  men  who  knew  but  little  about 
the  strength  of  our  great  American  Church, 
its  order,  its  catholicity,  its  aims,  have  been 
greatly  enlightened  and  drawn  to  its  services. 
They  realise  more  and  more  what  a  mighty 


256       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

agency  it  is  for  good,  how  it  promotes  all 
that  is  best  in  our  civilisation,  and  how  it 
adds  to  the  stability  of  the  institutions  of  the 
land. 

The  character  of  the  men  and  women 
whom  the  Church  trains  for  citizenship  and 
usefulness  in  the  world  is  seen  in  two  beau- 
tiful lives  whose  labours  were  finished,  in 
God's  Providence,  by  the  waters  of  the  Gold- 
en Gate.  Mrs.  Mary  Abbott  Emery  Twing, 
of  New  York,  widow  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Twing,  for  many  years  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Missions,  had  travelled  across  the 
continent  to  be  present  at  the  meetings  of 
the  Woman's  Auxiliary,  of  which  she  had 
been  the  first  active  Secretary.  But  sickness 
came,  and  after  a  few  days  she  was  cut  down 
like  a  flower.  She  was  a  woman  of  a  lovely 
character,  devoted  to  the  service  of  her  di- 
vine Master  like  the  Marys  of  old,  and  was 
a  type  of  the  tens  of  thousands  of  the 
Church's  faithful  daughters  throughout  the 
land.  As  she  has  left  a  holy  example  of 
missionary  zeal  and  labour,  so  her  good 
works  follow  her.  The  other  life  of  which 
we  speak  is  also  an  eminent  example  of  love 


THE  CONVENTION  257 

for  God's  Church,  of  faithfulness  and  good 
works.  John  I.  Thompson,  one  of  the  most 
esteemed  citizens  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  though 
hardly  in  a  condition  physically  to  make  the 
long  journey  to  San  Francisco,  yet  felt  it  his 
duty  to  be  in  his  seat  in  the  Convention.  So 
he  counted  not  his  life  dear  unto  himself, 
but  with  that  sense  of  duty  and  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice  which  always  had  characterised  him 
he  was  found  in  his  place  at  the  opening  and 
organising  of  the  Convention,  in  Trinity 
Church,  and  answered  the  roll  call.  Expos- 
ures by  the  way  had  made  inroads  on  his 
health  and  gradually  he  lost  his  strength 
until  death  finally  claimed  him  on  the 
evening  of  Wednesday,  October  the  16th. 
The  next  day  the  Convention  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  :  "  Resolved,  That  the 
members  of  this  Convention  have  heard, 
with  deep  regret,  of  the  death  of  Mr.  John 
I.  Thompson,  a  lay  deputy  of  the  diocese  of 
Albany,  and  they  hereby  express  their  warm 
and  tender  sympathy  for  his  family  in  their 
sore  bereavement."  But  what  a  deathbed  was 
his!  What  a  testimony  to  the  power  of  a 
living  faith  in  Christ!    He  died  as  he  had 


258       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

lived,  a  truly  Christian  man,  illustrating  the 
power  of  that  Gospel  which  the  General 
Convention  is  pledged  to  propagate  and  de- 
fend. With  him,  in  the  Palace  Hotel,  were 
those  whom  he  loved  best  of  all,  his  devoted 
wife,  who  had  accompanied  him,  and  his 
faithful  son,  who  had  hastened  from  the  dis- 
tant East  to  the  chamber  of  sickness;  with 
him  too  betimes  the  Bishop  of  Albany, 
whose  tender  words  and  loving  ministrations 
were  an  unspeakable  comfort  to  him;  with 
him  also  his  beloved  Rector,  Dr.  Edgar  A. 
Enos,  of  his  dear  St.  Paul's  Church,  to  break 
for  him  the  bread  of  life  and  press  the  cup  of 
salvation  to  his  lips,  and  pray  for  him  as  he 
walked  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of 
death,  and  to  commend  his  departing  soul  to 
God.  He  knew  he  was  going  away  from 
earthly  scenes,  and  with  faith  and  hope,  he 
leaned  on  the  arms  of  his  Lord.  Trained 
from  his  childhood  in  the  ways  of  the  divine 
life,  and  having  walked  like  the  holy  men  of 
old  in  the  paths  of  righteousness,  he  had  no 
fear  as  his  feet  touched  the  Dark  River.  He 
was  ready  to  launch  his  soul's  bark  on  the 
ocean  of  eternity.   Methinks  I  see  his  purified 


THE  CONVENTION  259 

spirit  passing  out  through  the  Golden  Gate 
yonder,  but  to  sail  over  a  sea  more  calm  than 
the  Pacific.  It  is  eventide  now,  but  "  at 
evening  time  it  shall  be  light ;  "  and  the  light 
of  God's  eternal  city  is  shed  across  his  path- 
way as  the  Divine  Pilot  guides  him  through 
the  Golden  Gate  of  Paradise  to  the  harbour 
of  peace ! 


CHAPTER  XII 

THROUGH    THE    CITY    TO    THE    GOLDEN    GATE 

A  Well  Equipped  Fire  Department — Destructive 
Fires — Scene  at  the  Call  Office — Loyalty  to  the 
Flag — The  Blind  Man  and  Bobby  Burns — Street 
Scenes  and  Places  of  Interest — Market  Street 
System — Mission  Dolores — Effect  of  Pictures — 
Franciscan  Missionaries — A  Quaint  Building — The 
Mosque  a  Model — The  Presidio — The  Spanish  and 
American  Reservation  —  Tents  —  Cemetery  —  The 
Cliff  House — Sutro  Baths — Museum — Seal  Rocks 
— Farallones — Golden  Gate — What  it  Recalls — 
Golden  Poppy — John  C.  Fremont — Drake  and  the 
Golden  Hind — A  Convenient  Harbour — First  to 
Enter — With  the  Indians — Child  of  Destiny — A 
Vision  of  Greatness — Queen  of  the  Golden  Gate. 

Our  walks  hither  and  thither  in  San  Fran- 
cisco will  lead  us  to  many  interesting  places, 
and  at  times  into  the  midst  of  exciting 
scenes.  There  is  an  onward  sweep  of  the 
current  of  humanity,  which  is  exhilarating 
in  a  high  degree ;  there  is  activity  on  all 
sides;  and  you  soon  catch  the  spirit  of  the 
260 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  261 

place.  Men  have  a  purpose  in  view,  some- 
thing to  accomplish;  and  there  is  the  entire 
absence  of  lethargy;  there  are  no  drones  in 
the  great  hive.  You  realise  that  you  are  in 
a  city  of  distances  as  well  as  surprises;  and 
wherever  you  go  you  find  some  object  or 
locality  or  happening  that  calls  for  comment. 
Hark!  there  is  the  fire  alarm.  The  engines 
and  hose-carts  and  fire  ladders,  with  other 
apparatus,  pass  you  as  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye;  and  so  skillful  are  the  fire-laddies, 
and  so  well  equipped  is  the  department,  that 
the  devouring  flames  rarely  ever  make  head- 
way. They  are  quickly  mastered.  But  it 
was  not  always  so.  There  was  a  period 
about  fifty  years  ago  when  great  and  destruc- 
tive fires  succeeded  one  another  like  a  deluge 
and  wiped  out  large  portions  of  the  growing 
city.  There  was  then  a  woful  lack  of  water, 
which  is  now  most  abundant,  and  the  fire 
engines  were  very  primitive  in  character  and 
inadequate  to  the  needs  of  the  place.  To- 
day every  precaution  is  taken  to  guard 
against  fire,  and  the  great  business  blocks 
and  the  miles  and  miles  of  handsome  homes 
are  well  protected. 


262       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

I  visited  the  central  department,  and 
it  was  most  interesting  to  note  the  ap- 
pliances of  other  days.  It  almost  excited 
a  smile  to  see  the  simple  hand  engines 
and  old  fire-extinguishers.  On  the  walls 
of  the  "  Curiosity-Shop "  where  these 
mementoes  of  other  days  were  exhibited,  not 
far  from  the  Chinese  quarter,  were  photo- 
graphs of  the  members  of  the  department, 
of  past  years;  and  among  the  faces  were 
some  of  the  most  distinguished  citizens  of 
San  Francisco.  All  honour  to  the  men  who 
protect  our  homes  thus,  who  respond  quickly 
to  the  fire  bell  which  startles  the  ear  in  mid- 
night hours,  who  risk  their  lives  for  the  sake 
of  others,  who  evince  such  hardihood  and 
perform  acts  which  are  truly  heroic !  Some 
old  inhabitant,  if  you  question  him,  will  go 
back  to  the  past  and  tell  you  in  graphic  lan- 
guage about  the  disastrous  fires  which  have 
swept  over  the  city  laying  large  portions  of 
it  again  and  again  in  ashes.  The  first,  which 
was  of  consequence  occurred  in  December 
1849.  Then  the  loss  was  estimated  to  be 
a  million  of  dollars.  On  May  4th  1850  there 
was  another  fire  which  was  a  heavy  blow  to 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  263 

the  business  interests  of  the  town.  A  third 
fire  broke  out  in  June  14th,  1850,  and  still 
another  on  September  17th,  1850,  causing 
great  loss.  But,  as  the  climax,  came  on  May 
3rd,  1 85 1,  what  is  known  as  "the  great 
fire."  At  the  time  the  chief  engineer  and 
many  of  the  firemen  were  in  Sacramento,  and 
this  greatly  crippled  the  service.  The  fire- 
fiend  held  carnival  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  property,  valued  at  twenty  millions  of 
dollars,  was  consumed,  while  many  of  the 
people  perished  in  the  flames. 

On  Sunday,  June  22nd,  1851,  there 
was  still  another  ruinous  fire  which  raged 
among  the  homes  on  the  hillsides  and  in 
the  residence-districts  generally.  This  was 
accompanied  with  a  most  pathetic  inci- 
dent. While  the  flames  were  raging 
around  the  Plaza,  a  man  who  was  very 
sick  was  carried  on  his  bed  into  the 
midst  of  the  open  place,  and  there  while 
a  shower  of  flame  was  rained  on  him  and 
smoke  blinded  his  eyes  his  spirit  passed  to 
his  eternal  home  in  the  Heavens.  But  al- 
though San  Francisco  had  met  with  all  these 
losses  in  rapid  succession,  partly  the  result 


264       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

of  incendiarism  and  partly  by  reason  of  a 
lack  of  fire  equipment,  yet  the  people,  brave- 
hearted  and  unconquerable,  rebuilt  their  city 
on  broader  and  safer  lines;  and  the  San 
Francisco  of  to-day,  so  attractive  and  pros- 
perous and  beautiful,  may  be  said  to  have 
risen  Phcenix-like  out  of  her  ashes.  So  it  is 
that  evils  are  overruled  for  good  in  God's 
Providence,  and  the  fine  gold  comes  out  of 
the  fire  of  discipline,  tried  and  precious! 
Our  walks  now  will  lead  us  up  through  the 
city  to  the  Mission  Dolores,  the  Presidio,  and 
the  Golden  Gate.  But  as  we  proceed  up 
Market  Street  we  take  note  of  some  features 
of  the  life  of  San  Francisco.  Behold,  here 
is  an  eager  group  of  men  and  boys  in  front 
of  The  Call  office.  They  are  scanning  the 
bulletin  of  the  day's  news  from  all  parts  of 
the  world,  which  will  be  published  in  to- 
morrow's Call  or  in  the  Chronicle  on  the 
north  side  of  the  street.  In  the  early  part 
of  my  sojourn  in  this  city  by  the  Golden 
Gate  I  was  impressed  with  this  aspect  of 
life  here.  It  was  on  Thursday  the  3rd  day 
of  October  that  I  saw  a  crowd  of  men  of 
various  ages,  and  boys  also,  reaching  out  into 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  265 

the  street,  besieging  the  bulletin  board  of 
The  Call,  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Third 
Streets.  Why  are  they  so  deeply  absorbed 
and  why  so  interested?  They  are  reading 
the  news  of  the  victory  of  Mr.  J.  Pierpont 
Morgan's  Columbia  over  Sir  Thomas  Lip- 
ton's  Shamrock  m  the  great  yacht  race  in 
New  York  waters,  in  the  cup  contest.  Had 
this  international  race  taken  place  outside 
of  their  own  Golden  Gate,  on  the  broad 
Pacific,  they  could  not  have  evinced  greater 
enthusiasm  and  pride  at  the  result.  The 
pulse  of  San  Francisco  is  quickened  and  the 
heart  thrilled  at  American  success  on  the 
Atlantic  seaboard  as  much  as  Boston  or  New 
York  is  elated  when  it  triumphs.  Distance 
is  nothing.  It  is  America  from  Sandy 
Hook  to  the  Golden  Gate.  The  one  thing 
that  impresses  you  here  in  San  Francisco  is 
the  intense  patriotism  of  the  people,  and  your 
own  heart  is  warmed  as  you  see  the  evidences 
of  loyalty  to  the  flag.  I  could  not  but  be 
touched  too  at  the  devotion  which  the  people 
everywhere  displayed  to  the  memory  of 
President  McKinley.  Even  in  Chinatown  a 
deep  sentiment  prevailed,  and  his  draped  por- 


266       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

trait  with  his  benignant  countenance  might 
be  seen  in  houses  and  stores  and  in  other 
conspicuous  places. 

As  you  walk  leisurely  along  you  will  see 
on  the  sidewalk,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
street,  west  of  the  Palace  Hotel  and  opposite 
No.  981,  a  newstand  with  American  flags 
decorating  its  roof;  and  you  will  be  in- 
terested in  the  man  who  stands  in  his  shel- 
tered place  behind  the  counter  on  which  are 
the  daily  papers.  It  is  George  M.  Drum,  a 
blind  man.  Poor  Drum,  a  man  about  fifty 
years  old,  lost  his  eyesight  in  a  premature 
explosion  of  giant  powder,  in  a  quarry  near 
Ocean  View,  on  the  3rd  of  November  1895. 
Yet  he  takes  his  misfortune  cheerfully.  He 
is  chatty  and  witty  and  somewhat  of  a  poet 
and  is  the  author  of  a  highly  imaginative 
story  about  a  "  Bottomless  Lake "  and  a 
"Haunted  Cavern  "  in  which  that  strange 
character,  Joaquin  Murietta,  well  known  in 
all  California  mining  camps  fifty  years  ago, 
figures.  This  Joaquin  Murietta  has  also 
been  the  theme  of  the  "  Poet  of  the  Sierras," 
Joaquin  Miller.  Indeed  it  was  from  this 
"  Joaquin  "  that  Miller  has  taken  his  name 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  267 

Joaquin,  being  otherwise  called  Cincinnatus 
Heine  Miller.  It  was  my  custom  to  pur- 
chase The  Call  and  The  Chronicle  each 
morning  from  Mr.  Drum ;  and  on  the  second 
time  that  I  saw  him  he  said,  "  I  wish  to 
shake  hands  with  you ;  I  know  you."  "  Who 
am  I  ? "  I  asked,  with  no  little  surprise. 
Said  he,  "  You  are  Bobby  Burns."  "  Bobby 
Burns!  "  I  exclaimed;  and,  thinking  only  of 
the  Ayrshire  poet,  I  said,  "  Burns  is  dead !  " 
"  Oh,"  he  said,  "  there  is  a  man  here  in  San 
Francisco,  whom  I  call  Bobby  Burns,  and  I 
thought  that  you  were  he."  So  the  mystery 
was  explained;  and  I  could  not  but  reflect 
that  many  other  things  which  puzzle  us  are 
just  as  easy  of  solution  when  we  have  the 
proper  key  to  them. 

If  your  walk  is  extended  into  the  evening 
through  the  brilliantly  lighted  streets,  which 
electricity  makes  almost  as  bright  as  day, 
you  will  meet  here  and  there  detachments  of 
the  Salvation  Army  and  the  American  Vol- 
unteers; then  you  will  see  a  group  of  men 
around  some  temperance  lecturer  or  street 
orator.  You  will  also  hear  the  voice  of  some 
fakir  selling  his  fakes  or  wares,   or  some 


268       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

juggler  who  is  delighting  his  audience  with 
his  tricks  of  legerdemain. 

If  you  desire  to  make  purchases  of  silver 
articles  or  gold  ornaments  you  will  go  to 
Hammersmith  and  Field's  at  No.  36  Kear- 
ney Street;  and  if  you  wish  to  spend  an  hour 
pleasantly  and  profitably  among  books  on  all 
subjects,  you  will  visit  No.  1149  Market 
Street  or  704  Mission  Street.  Here  you  will 
learn  that  books  on  California,  whether  old 
or  new,  are  in  great  demand.  Indeed  all 
books  relating  to  the  Golden  State  are  eagerly 
sought  for;  and  if  you  chance  to  have  any 
such  you  will  be  reluctant  to  part  with  them. 
They  increase  in  value  year  by  year. 

The  Club  life  of  San  Francisco  is  an 
important  element;  and  it  will  be  an 
easy  matter  for  you  to  find  admittance 
to  the  Pacific  Union  Club,  the  Cosmos 
Club,  or  the  Bohemian  Club,  if  you 
have  the  indorsement  of  a  member.  A 
letter  of  introduction  or  commendation 
from  a  clergyman  or  some  well-known 
public  man  will  secure  for  you  the  Open 
Sesame  at  any  time;  and  here  you  can  pass 
an  hour  pleasantly  and  meet  the  foremost 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  269 

men  of  the  city,  physicians,  clergymen, 
lawyers,   merchants,   and  army  officers. 

But  we  hasten  on  now  to  the  old 
Mission  Dolores.  Let  us  board  the  street 
car  which  leads  to  its  door.  Meanwhile 
we  have  an  opportunity  to  study  what 
is  called  the  Market  Street  system.  Ru- 
mour hath  it  that  the  street  railways 
will  soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  a  syn- 
dicate with  capitalists  from  Baltimore  at  the 
head  of  it.  The  estimated  value  of  the  vari- 
ous lines  is  said  to  be  over  fourteen  millions 
of  dollars.  These  cars  are  excellent  in  serv- 
ice, and  they  climb  up  the  hills  of  San  Fran- 
cisco with  perfect  ease.  You  feel,  on  some 
of  the  lines,  as  ascent  is  so  steep,  that  the 
car  is  about  to  stand  on  end,  and  you  cling 
to  your  seat  lest  you  lose  your  balance;  but 
you  are  perfectly  safe.  They  will  take  you 
in  every  direction  as  they  run  through  all 
principal  streets  and  out  to  Golden  Gate  Park 
and  the  Cliff  House  as  well  as  to  distant 
points  in  the    suburbs    of    San    Francisco. 

Away  back  in  the  early  days  of  the  city  the 
Mission  was  reached  by  a  plank  road  from 
the  shores  of  the  Bay;  but  now  you  ride  to 


270       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

its  doors  in  comfort.  The  Mission  Dolores 
located  in  the  western  part  of  the  city  will 
always  be  a  place  of  special  interest.  It  car- 
ries you  back  to  1776,  the  same  year  in 
which  the  American  Colonies  declared  them- 
selves to  be  free  and  independent  of  Great 
Britain.  The  Mission  was  founded  under 
the  supervision  of  Padre  Miguel  Jose  Serra 
Junipero,  a  native  of  the  island  of  Majorca, 
who  was  born  on  Nov.  24th,  171 3.  At  the 
age  of  16  years  he  joined  the  order  of  St. 
Francis  of  Assisi,  and  in  1750  he  went  as  a 
missionary  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  It  was  in 
1769  that  he  arrived  in  San  Diego  and  estab- 
lished its  Mission.  Proceeding  up  the  coast 
he  founded  other  Missions,  and  his  desire 
was  to  name  one  in  honour  of  the  founder 
of  his  order.  Said  he  to  Don  Jose  de  Gal- 
vez,  the  leader  of  the  expedition  from  Mexico 
to  California,  "  Is  St.  Francis  to  have  no 
Mission?"  The  answer  was,  "Let  him 
show  us  his  port,  and  he  shall  have  one."  In 
consequence  of  this  the  San  Francisco  Mis- 
sion was  established.  The  solemn  mass 
which  marked  its  foundation  was  celebrated 
by  Padres  Palou,    Cambon,    Nocedal    and 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  271 

Pena;  and  on  the  occasion  firearms  were 
discharged  as  a  token  of  thanks  to  God,  and 
also  for  the  purpose  of  attracting  the  Indians, 
though  it  was  difficult  for  them  to  under- 
stand it.  The  Indians  were  hard  to  win  at 
San  Francisco,  but  a  piece  of  cloth,  with 
the  image  of  "  Our  Lady  de  Los  Dolores," 
on  it,  was  exhibited  to  them  and  it  produced 
a  marvellous  effect.  Pictures  seem  to  have 
a  peculiar  attraction  for  the  savage  mind. 
In  the  Church  of  Guadaloupe,  Mexico,  you 
may  see  a  large  painting  of  the  Mexican 
Virgin  with  Indians  crowding  around  her. 
The  effect  of  pictures  is  well  illustrated  by 
a  scene  in  the  ninth  century,  as  when,  in 
answer  to  the  request  of  Bogoris,  King  of 
the  Bulgarians,  the  Emperor  Michael,  of 
Constantinople,  sent  to  him  a  painter  to 
decorate  the  hall  of  his  palace  with  subjects 
of  a  terrible  character.  It  was  Methodius, 
the  monk,  who  was  despatched  to  the  Bul- 
garian court  on  this  mission,  and  he  took  for 
his  theme  the  Last  Judgment  as  being  the 
most  terrible  of  all  scenes.  The  representa- 
tion of  hell  so  alarmed  the  king  that  he 
cast  aside  his  idols,  and  many  of  his  subjects 


272       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

were  converted.  The  Franciscans  in  their 
work  both  in  Mexico  and  in  California  un- 
derstood well  the  value  of  pictures  in  con- 
vincing the  untutored  mind.  Hence  it  was 
the  custom  to  have  pictures  of  heaven  and 
hell  on  the  walls  of  the  Missions.  They  were 
better  than  sermons.  The  name  of  the  Mis- 
sion here  was  at  first,  simply  San  Francisco 
de  Asis.  Then  in  time  Dolores,  was  added 
to  indicate  its  locality,  because  it  was  west 
of  a  Laguna  bordered  with  "  Weeping  Wil- 
lows "  or  because  three  Indians  had  been 
seen  weeping  in  its  vicinity.  Naturally  the 
title  of  the  Virgin  would  be  applied  to  the 
Mission, — Nuestra  Senora  de  Los  Dolores, 
"  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows."  In  this  Mission, 
as  well  as  in  the  others  ,the  Indians  were  in 
a  certain  sense  slaves,  as  the  Fathers  con- 
trolled all  their  movements.  The  religious 
instruction  was  of  the  simplest  character. 
The  life  of  the  convert  also  was  somewhat 
childlike,  in  marked  contrast  with  his  ex- 
perience in  his  savage  condition.  His  break- 
fast consisted  of  a  kind  of  gruel  made  of 
corn,  called  Atole.  The  dinner  was  Pozoli, 
and  the  supper  the  same  as  breakfast.     The 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  273 

Christian  Indians  lived  in  adobe  huts — of 
which  the  Padres  kept  the  keys.  Some  of 
the  Missions  were  noted  for  their  wealth. 
For  example,  as  you  may  read  in  the  Annals 
of  San  Francisco,  the  Mission  Dolores,  in 
its  palmiest  days,  about  the  year  1825,  pos- 
sessed 76,000  head  of  cattle,  950  tame 
horses,  2,000  breeding  mares,  84  stud  of 
choice  breed,  820  mules,  79,000  sheep,  2,000 
hogs,  456  yoke  of  working  oxen,  18,000 
bushels  of  wheat  and  barley,  $35,000  in  mer- 
chandise and  $25,000  in  specie. 

Such  prosperity  in  time  was  fatal  to 
the  Missions.  The  spiritual  life  was 
deadened,  and  in  time  it  might  be  said 
that  Ichabod  was  written  on  them.  The 
glory  has  departed.  The  early  Francis- 
cans were  men  of  deep,  religious  fervour, 
self-denying  and  godly.  They  did  a 
splendid  work  among  the  Indians  in  Cali- 
fornia. Father  Junipero  was  a  saintly  man, 
full  of  labour,  enduring  hardships  for 
Christ's  sake,  and  he  is  worthy  of  being 
ranked  with  the  saints  of  old.  Padre  Palou 
was  a  man  of  like  character,  and  there  were 
others  who  caught  the  inspiration  of  his  life. 


274       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

When  Junipero  knew  that  his  pilgrimage 
was  about  ended  he  wrote  a  farewell  letter 
to  his  Franciscans;  and  then,  on  the  28th 
of  August,  1784,  having  bade  good-bye  to 
his  fellow-labourer,  Padre  Palou,  he  closed 
his  eyes  in  the  last  sleep,  and  was  laid  to 
rest  at  San  Carlos.  The  lives  of  such  men 
make  a  bright  spot  in  the  early  history  of 
California;  and  as  most  of  its  towns  and 
cities  have  San  or  Santa  as  a  part  of  their 
names  it  is  well  to  recall  the  fact  that  the 
word  Saint  was  not  unmeaning  on  the  lips 
of  those  Franciscan  Missionaries  who  la- 
boured on  these  shores  and  taught  the  ignor- 
ant savage  the  way  of  life.  On  the  day 
when  Doctor  Ashton  and  I  visited  the  Mis- 
sion Dolores  we  were  deeply  impressed  with 
what  we  saw.  There  stood  the  old  building, 
partly  overshadowed  by  the  new  edifice 
erected  recently  just  north  of  it.  Yonder 
were  the  hills,  north  and  south  and  west, 
which  from  the  first  had  looked  down  upon 
it ;  but  the  old  gardens  and  olive  trees  which 
had  surrounded  it  for  many  years  were  gone, 
and  instead  the  eye  fell  on  blocks  of  com- 
fortable houses  and  streets  suggestive  of  the 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  275 

new  life  which  had  taken  place  of  the  old. 
The  bull-fights  which  used  to  take  place  near 
this  spot  on  Sunday  afternoons  are  things  of 
the  past  happily,  and  the  gay,  moving 
throngs,  with  picturesque  costume  of  Spanish 
make  and  Mexican  hue,  have  forever  van- 
ished. The  old  graveyard  with  its  high 
walls  on  the  south  side  of  the  Church  re- 
mains. Tall  grass  bends  over  the  prostrate 
tombstones,  a  willow  tree  serves  as  a  mourn- 
ing sentinel  here  and  there,  while  the  odours 
of  flowers,  emblems  of  undying  hopes,  are 
wafted  to  us  on  the  balmy  air  as  we  stand, 
with  memories  of  the  past  rushing  on  the 
mind,  and  gaze  silently  on  the  scene.  The 
building  looks  very  quaint  in  the  midst  of 
the  modern  life  which  surrounds  it.  It  is  a 
monument  of  by-gone  days  with  its  adobe 
walls  and  tiled  roof.  Its  front  has  in  it  a 
suggestion  of  an  Egyptian  temple.  Its  archi- 
tecture is  Spanish  and  Mexican  and  old  Cali- 
fornian  combined.  You  can  not  fail  to  carry 
away  its  picture  in  your  memory,  for  with- 
out any  effort  on  your  part  it  is  photographed 
on  your  mind  for  the  remainder  of  your  days. 
These  old  Mission  buildings  of  California 


276       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

and  of  Mexico  too  are  all  very  similar  in 
their  construction.  Some  have  the  tower 
which  reminds  you  of  the  Minaret  of  a 
mosque.  I  fancy,  as  the  idea  of  the  Mission 
building  with  its  rectangular  grounds,  gen- 
erally walled,  came  from  Spain,  that  the 
mosque,  with  its  square  enclosure  and 
houses  for  its  attendants,  was  its  model. 
The  Moors  of  Spain  have  left  their  impress 
behind  them  in  architecture  as  well  as  in 
other  things.  They  borrowed  from  Con- 
stantinople, and  the  City  of  the  Golden  Horn 
has  extended  its  influence  in  one  way  and  an- 
other over  all  the  civilised  world.  But  Do- 
lores is  crumbling,  and  its  services,  still  held, 
and  its  "  Bells,"  of  which  Bret  Harte  sang 
so  sweetly  years  ago,  can  not  arrest  its  decay. 
In  it  is  seen  "  the  dying  glow  of  Spanish 
glory,"  which  once,  like  a  cimeter,  flashed 
forth  here.  Yet,  though  a  building  fall  and 
a  nation  be  uprooted,  "  the  Church  of  Jesus 
constant  will  remain,"  shedding  its  glory  on 
generation  after  generation  and  beautifying 
the  human  race ! 

Let  us  now  pursue  our  walk  in  a  north- 
westerly direction  to  the  Presidio.     The  de- 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  277 

scendants  of  the  old  Spanish  families  in  San 
Francisco  pronounce  the  word  still  in  the 
Castilian  way,  with  the  vowels  long,  and  the 
full  continental  sound  is  given.  This  makes 
the  name  very  musical  as  it  is  syllabled  on 
their  lips.  What  is  the  Presidio  ?  This  was 
originally  the  Military  Post  of  the  Spaniards, 
but  it  is  now  the  Military  Reservation  of  the 
United  States.  We  are  carried  back  to  the 
old  Spanish  days  as  we  tread  the  well  kept 
walks  of  this  garrisoned  post.  It  was  on 
Sept.  17,  1776,  as  we  learn  that  it  was  estab- 
lished. There  were  four  of  these  Presidios 
in  California,  one  at  San  Diego,  the  second 
at  Santa  Barbara,  the  third  at  Monterey,  and 
the  fourth  here  by  the  waters  of  the  Golden 
Gate.  They  were  built  on  the  lines  of  a 
square,  three  hundred  feet  long  on  each  side, 
and  the  walls  were  made  of  adobes  formed 
of  ashes  and  earth.  Within  this  enclosure 
were  the  necessary  buildings,  of  the  simplest 
construction,  such  as  the  Commandante's 
house,  the  barracks,  the  store  house,  the 
shops  and  the  jail.  The  government  build- 
ings as  a  rule  were  whitewashed.  The  chief 
object  of  the  Presidios  was  to  give  protec- 


278       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

tion  to  the  Missionaries  and  guard  them 
against  the  Indians.  The  full  complement 
of  soldiers  in  each  Presidio  was  two  hundred 
and  fifty — but  the  number  rarely  reached  as 
high  as  this.  The  soldiers  in  those  early 
days  were  not,  as  a  rule,  of  the  highest  stand- 
ing. Many  of  them  were  from  the  dregs 
of  the  Mexican  army,  and  among  them  were 
men  sometimes  who  had  committed  crime 
and  were  in  a  measure  in  banishment. 

There  could  be  no  greater  contrast  pos- 
sible than  that  between  the  Presidio  of 
Spanish  days  and  the  Presidio  of  the  present 
time,  both  as  to  the  place  and  the  personnel 
of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  garrison.  As 
you  look  around  you  now  your  eyes  rest  on 
wide  and  handsome  parade  grounds,  on  beau- 
tiful gardens  where  flowers  bloom  in  lux- 
uriance, on  groups  of  the  Monterey  Cypress, 
on  neatly  trimmed  hedges,  on  walks  in  many 
places  bordered  with  cannon  balls,  on  at- 
tractive buildings  which  have  a  homelike  as- 
pect with  vines  climbing  the  walls,  on  bar- 
racks where  the  soldiers  are  made  com- 
fortable. The  Presidio  looks  like  a  settle- 
ment in  itself,  and  is  very  picturesque.     I 


THROUGH  THE  CITY         jyg 

will  not  soon  forget  the  beautiful,  balmy 
afternoon,  when  I  walked  through  the 
grounds  on  my  way  to  the  hills  above  the 
ocean.  Here  everything  was  suggestive  of 
forethought,  of  care,  of  order,  of  dignity. 
The  Reservation  stretched  out  on  every  hand 
and  over  to  the  shore  of  the  Bay  northward 
where  it  has  a  water  frontage  of  at  least  a 
mile  and  a  half.  In  all  its  area  it  embraces 
a  landscape,  varied  and  undulating,  of  one 
thousand,  five  hundred  and  forty-two  acres. 
It  is  a  noble  park  in  itself  and  well  may  the 
nation  be  proud  of  it.  The  Presidio  was 
first  occupied  by  United  States  troops  in 
1847,  on  March  4th,  when  the  sword  was 
trembling  in  the  weak  hands  of  Spain.  On 
November  6th,  1850,  President  Millard  Fill- 
more set  these  grounds  apart  forever  as  a 
Military  Reservation.  As  I  walked  on,  be- 
fore me  to  the  west,  rose  hundreds  of  tents 
in  which  were  soldiers,  some  of  whom  had 
returned  from  the  Philippine  Islands,  and 
others  of  them  were  soon  to  embark  for  the 
Orient.  Yonder  too  is  the  cemetery,  where, 
as  on  Arlington  Heights  above  the  Potomac, 
sleep  the  Nation's  dead;  and 


28o       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

"  There  Honour  comes,  a  pilgrim  gray, 
To  bless  the  turf  that  wraps  their  clay." 

After  your  visit  to  the  Presidio  you  will 
naturally  desire  to  go  to  the  Cliff  House, 
that  world  renowned  resort  on  Point  Lobos 
south  of  the  Golden  Gate,  and  about  seven 
miles  distant  from  the  City  Hall.  Thou- 
sands frequent  this  favoured  spot  annually, 
and  especially  on  Saturday  afternoons  is  it 
thronged.  You  can  reach  the  Cliff  either  by 
the  street  cars  going  by  Golden  Gate  Park, 
or  by  the  electric  railway  which  skirts  the 
rocky  heights  of  the  Golden  Gate.  This  last 
was  our  route,  and  the  return  journey  was 
by  the  street  railway.  A  Mr.  Black  and  a 
Mr.  Norton,  two  of  San  Francisco's  pros- 
perous business-men,  were  going  thither 
"also,  and,  seeing  that  we  were  strangers,  they 
with  true  California  courtesy  gave  us  much 
information  and  showed  us  favours  which 
we  valued  highly.  As  we  sped  westward, 
on  our  right  was  Fort  Point  just  rising  above 
tide  water  with  its  granite  and  brick  walls 
and  strong  fortifications  and  powerful  guns 
guarding  the  entrance  to  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco. 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  281 

Close  by  the  Cliff  House,  and  north  of  it, 
are  the  famous  Sutro  Baths,  always  well 
patronised;  and  the  lofty,  vaulted  building 
in  which  they  are  located  impresses  you 
greatly  as  you  enter  it.  It  stands  on  the 
shore  of  the  sea,  reaching  out  into  the  deep ; 
and  the  waters,  which  fill  the  swimming 
pools  of  various  depths,  flow  in  from  old 
ocean  in  all  their  virgin  purity.  Here  you 
will  find  all  the  best  equipments  and  con- 
veniences of  a  bath  house. 

After  bathing  you  may  ascend  to  a 
long  gallery  of  the  building,  where  is  a 
museum  with  a  valuable  collection  of 
Indian  relics  and  stuffed  animals  and 
archaeological  specimens,  and  even  mum- 
mies from  old  Egypt  in  their  well  pre- 
served cases.  The  view  from  the  heights 
above  the  Cliff  House  is  magnificent.  Al- 
most at  your  feet,  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  from  the  shore,  are  the  Seal 
Rocks  rising  up  in  their  hoary  forms  from 
the  sea  and  against  whose  sides  the  waves 
dash  from  time  to  time  in  rythmical  cadence. 
Here  are  hundreds  of  sea-lions,  young  and 
old,  basking  in  the  sun  or  disporting  them- 


282        BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

selves  in  the  waters,  and  ever  and  anon  you 
hear  their  roaring,  reminding  you  that  here 
is  nature's  grand  aquarium.  As  you  look 
northward  you  see  the  rocky  shores  of  the 
ocean  for  miles,  while  to  the  south  your  eyes 
rest  on  a  receding  beach ;  and  in  a  direct 
line  some  twenty  miles  westward  are  the 
Farallones  or  Needles,  a  group  of  seven 
islands  consisting  of  barren  rocks,  the 
largest  of  which,  comprising  some  two  acres 
in  area,  has  a  spring  of  pure  water  and  is 
surmounted  by  a  lighthouse.  Here  too  are 
vast  numbers  of  sea-lions  and  wild  birds  of 
the  sea,  which  make  these  islets  their  home, 
nothing  daunted  by  the  billows  which  roll 
over  them  in  wind  and  storm.  Surely  it  is 
a  picture  of  the  steadfast  soul  in  the  midst 
of  commotions,  when  the  waves  of  the  sea 
of  human  passions  "  are  mighty  and  rage 
horribly ! "  As  you  look  out  toward  the 
Farallones,  as  lights  and  shadows  fall  on 
them,  you  almost  imagine  that  they  are 
ships  from  distant  shores  ploughing  their 
way  to  the  Golden  Gate.  But  what  of 
the  Golden  Gate,  on  which  our  eyes  now 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  283 

rest?  The  name  naturally  recalls  to  mind 
the  "  Golden  Gate "  in  the  wall  of  Theo- 
dosius,  in  Constantinople,  with  its  three 
arches  and  twin,  marble  towers,  now  indeed 
walled  up  to  prevent  the  fulfillment  of  a 
prophecy  that  the  Christian  Conqueror  who 
is  to  take  the  city  will  enter  through  it.  A 
similar  belief  prevails  concerning  the  Golden 
Gate  of  the  Temple  Area  in  Jerusalem,  which 
is  also  effectually  barred.  But  whoever 
named  it  doubtless  had  in  mind  the  "  Golden 
Horn,"  that  noble  right  arm  of  the  Bos- 
phorus,  embracing  Stamboul  and  its  suburbs 
for  five  miles  up  to  the  "  Sweet  Waters  of 
Europe."  There  are  indeed  some  corre- 
spondences between  the  two.  As  the  wealth 
of  the  Orient  flows  into  the  Golden  Horn, 
the  harbour  of  Constantinople  for  many  cen- 
turies, so  the  riches  of  commerce,  the  pro- 
ducts of  great  states  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  the  treasures  of  the  Pacific, 
pass  through  the  Golden  Gate.  The  Golden 
Gate  too  is  about  five  miles  in  length,  al- 
though at  its  entrance  it  is  a  little  over  a 
mile  wide  and  widens  out  as  you  sail  into 


284       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

the  great  Bay  of  which  it  is  the  outlet.  This 
is  located  in  latitude  37  °  48'  north  and  in 
longitude  1220  24'  32"  west  of  Greenwich, 
and  has  a  depth  of  thirty  feet  on  the  bar 
while  inside  of  its  mouth  it  ranges  from  sixty 
to  one  hundred  feet.  The  shores  are  a  strik- 
ing feature,  and  on  the  south  side  range  from 
three  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet  in  height, 
while  on  the  north  the  hills,  in  places,  attain 
an  altitude  of  two  thousand  feet;  and  these 
adamantine  walls,  witnesses  of  many  a 
stirring  event  in  the  history  of  California,  are 
clothed  in  green  in  spring-time,  while  in 
autumn  they  are  brown,  and  from  the  dis- 
tance resemble  huge  lions,  couchant,  guard- 
ians of  the  Gate.  But  who  gave  it  its  name, 
and  why  is  it  so  called?  These  were  my 
questions.  Among  the  residents  of  San 
Francisco,  whom  I  asked,  was  a  Sefiora 
whose  countenance  plainly  indicated  her 
Spanish  descent,  and  she  said  it  took  its 
name  from  the  Golden  Poppy  of  California. 
This  was  the  Gateway  to  the  land  of  the 
Golden  Poppy.  The  Poppy  is  called  Chry- 
seis  at  times,  after  one  of  the  characters  of 
Homer;  and  it  is  also  known  by  the  Spanish 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  285 

name,  especially  in  the  early  days,  Caliz  de 
Oro,  Chalice  of  Gold.  Another  designation, 
used  by  the  poets,  is  Copa  de  Oro,  Cup  of 
Gold;  while  in  Indian  legends  it  has  some- 
times been  styled,  "  Fire-Flower "  and 
"  Great  Spirit  Flower."  It  was  the  belief 
among  the  Indians,  when  they  saw  the  peo- 
ple flocking  for  gold  from  all  directions,  that 
the  petals  of  the  "  Great  Spirit  Flower," 
dropping  year  after  year  into  the  earth,  had 
been  turned  into  yellow  gold.  The  Golden 
Poppy,  the  State  Flower  of  California, 
blooms  in  great  profusion  and  with  marvel- 
lous beauty  on  hillside  in  plain  and  valley, 
in  field  and  garden,  by  lake  and  river,  from 
the  Sierras  to  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  and 
it  is  especially  abundant  on  the  hills  which 
skirt  the  shores  of  the  Golden  Gate.  In- 
deed in  spring  time  these  are  one  mass  of 
gold;  and  hence  it  would  not  require  much 
imagination  to  coin  the  magic  name  by 
which  the  gateway  to  one  of  the  grandest 
Bays  in  the  world  is  known.  An  old  Cali- 
fornian  song  well  describes  the  beauty  and 
luxuriance  of  this  suggestive  Flower. 


286       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

"  O'er  the  foothills,  through  the  meadows, 
Midst  the  canons'  lights  and  shadows, 
Spreading  with  their  amber  glow, 
Lo,  the  golden  poppies  grow ! 
Golden  poppies,  deep  and  hollow, 
Golden  poppies,  rich  and  mellow, 
Radiant  in  their  robes  of  yellow, 
Lo,  the  golden  poppies  grow !  " 

The  honour  of  having  named  the  Gate, 
however,  is  generally  conceded  to  General 
John  C.  Fremont.  In  his  "  Memoirs  "  he 
says :  "  To  this  Gate  I  gave  the  name  of 
Chrysopylae  or  Golden  Gate,  for  the  same 
reasons  that  the  harbour  of  Byzantium  (Con- 
stantinople) was  named  the  Golden  Horn 
(Chrysoceras)."  It  has  been  hinted  never- 
theless that  Sir  Francis  Drake  gave  it  its 
appellation ;  and  if  this  be  so  the  euphonious 
name  would  be  suggested  by  his  ship  in 
which  he  sailed  along  this  coast,  the  Golden 
Hind.  At  first  the  ship  bore  the  name  of 
Pelican,  but  at  Cape  Virgins,  at  the  entrance 
to  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  Drake  changed 
it  to  the  Golden  Hind,  in  honour  of  his 
patron  Sir  Christopher  Hatton,  on  whose 
coat  of  arms  was  a  Golden  Hind.  Not  with- 
out interest  do  we  follow  the  fortunes  of  this 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  287 

ship.  When  finally  she  was  moored  in  her 
English  port  after  her  voyages,  and  was 
put  out  of  commission  as  unseaworthy,  and 
fell  into  decay,  though  guarded  with  care, 
John  Davis,  the  English  navigator,  had  a 
chair  made  out  of  her  timbers,  which  he 
presented  to  the  University  of  Oxford,  still 
guarded  sacredly  in  the  Bodleian  Library. 
No  wonder  that  Cowley,  while  sitting  in  it, 
wrote  his  stirring  lines,  and  apostrophised 
it  as  "Great  Relic!"  How  noble  this 
thought. 

"  The  straits  of  time  too  narrow  are  for  thee — 
Launch  forth  into  an  undiscovered  sea, 
And  steer  the  endless  course  of  vast  eternity; 
Take  for  thy  sail,  this  verse,  and  for  thy  pilot,  me !  " 

Had  we  stood  on  these  lofty  shores  by  the 
Golden  Gate  in  the  early  summer  of  1579 
we  would  have  descried  the  Golden  Hind 
ploughing  the  waters  of  the  Pacific  north- 
ward. Her  course  was  as  far  north  as  lati- 
tude 420  on  June  3rd.  Owing,  however,  to 
the  cold  weather  Drake  returned  southward 
to  find  a  "  convenient  and  fit  harbour  "  for 
rest  and  refitting  of  the  vessel ;  and,  as  one 
of  the  narrators  of  the  voyage  writes,  "  It 


288       BY  THE  GOLDEN.  GATE 

pleased  God  to  send  us  into  a  fair  and  good 
bay,  with  a  good  wind  to  enter  the  same." 
Was  this  what  is  known  as  Drake's  Bay 
or  popularly  as  Jack's  Bay,  southeast  of 
Point  los  Reyes,  or  was  it  the  Bay  of  San 
Francisco?  Justin  Winsor,  in  his  Narrative 
and  Critical  History  of  America,  and  Hu- 
bert Howe  Bancroft,  in  his  History  of  Cali- 
fornia, discuss  this  matter  in  an  exhaustive 
manner;  and  the  reader  after  sifting  all  the 
evidence  afforded,  will  still  be  free  to  form 
his  own  judgment.  Some  writers,  wishing 
to  give  the  glory  to  the  Spaniards,  arrive  at 
conclusions  hastily,  though  of  course  a  name 
like  that  of  Bancroft  carries  great  weight  and 
his  arguments  deserve  the  highest  considera- 
tion. The  question  then  is,  Was  the  Golden 
Hind  the  first  ship  to  cross  the  bar  and  pass 
through  the  Golden  Gate,  in  the  name  of 
Queen  Elizabeth  of  England?  Or  was  it 
Juan  Bautista  de  Ayala's  ship,  San  Carlos, 
in  August,  1775,  in  the  name  of  Charles  III. 
of  Spain?  , 

It  seems  to  the  writer  that  a  man  of 
Drake's  discernment  and  perception  and  ex- 
perience would  not  be  likely  to  pass  by  the 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  289 

Golden  Gate  without  seeing  it  and  entering 
it.  True,  it  may  have  been  veiled  in  fog, 
such  as  you  may  see  the  trade  winds  driving 
into  the  Bay  to-day  often  in  the  afternoon, 
but  there  are  many  hours  when  the  Gate  is 
clear  and  when  it  could  hardly  escape  the 
notice  of  an  experienced  seaman.  The  in- 
tercourse of  Drake  with  the  Indians  who 
crowned  him  as  king,  the  services  used  on 
these  shores  out  of  the  old  Book  of  Common 
Prayer  by  "  Master  Fletcher,"  the  Golden 
Hind's  chaplain,  the  naming  of  the  country 
Albion  from  its  white  cliffs  in  honour  of 
Britain's  ancient  title,  and  the  taking  pos- 
session of  it  in  the  Queen's  name,  and  many 
other  interesting  things,  are  all  told  in  the 
old  narratives,  as  you  may  find  the  story  in 
Hakluyt's  Collection;  and  most  edifying  is 
it,  opening  up  a  new  world  and  making  a 
romantic  chapter  in  the  early  history  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  centuries  have  rolled  on  since 
that  time:  California  has  become  one  of  the 
brightest  jewels  in  the  crown  of  the  Re- 
public ;  San  Francisco  has  been  born  and  has 
attained  greatness  never  dreamed  of  by 
those  pioneers  who  laid  her  foundations,  and 


290       BY  THE  GOLDEN  GATE 

before  her  is  a  grand  career  owing  to  her 
position  and  character.  She  is  the  child 
of  destiny,  with  her  sceptre  extended  over 
the  seas  which  bind  to  her  the  great  Orient. 
When  John  C.  Calhoun  was  Secretary  of 
State  he  laid  his  ringer  on  the  map  where 
San  Francisco  stands  now,  and  said :  "  There, 
when  this  Bay  comes  into  our  possession, 
will  spring  up  the  great  rival  of  New  York." 
Give  San  Francisco  a  history  as  long  as  that 
of  New  York,  and  then  see  what  mighty 
force  she  will  develop.  Has  she  not  at  her 
feet  all  the  great  States  which  stretch  out 
beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  ?  Has  she  not 
the  homage  of  all  the  Pacific  coast  lands 
with  their  untold  wealth?  And  are  not  her 
perpetuity  and  greatness  assured  ?  "  Who- 
ever," says  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  "  commands 
the  sea  commands  the  trade  of  the  world, 
and  .whoever  commands  the  trade  of  the 
world  commands  the  riches  of  the  world,  and 
consequently  the  world  itself."  True  is  it 
that  San  Francisco  commands  the  riches  of 
Alaska,  the  commerce  of  China  and  Japan, 
the  wealth  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  of 
the  Philippine  Archipelago  as  well  as  the 


THROUGH  THE  CITY  291 

products  of  the  South  Seas,  and  what  more 
can  she  desire?  Her  cup,  a  golden  cup,  is 
full  to  overflowing ;  and  I  see  the  years  com- 
ing, in  the  visions  of  the  future,  when  the 
city  will  cover,  like  a  jewelled  robe,  the  whole 
Peninsula  as  far  south  as  San  Jose  and  will 
embrace  within  her  government  the  flourish- 
ing towns  upon  the  beautiful  shores  of  her 
great  Bay.  Yes,  Alameda  and  Oakland, 
Berkeley  and  Benicia,  Vallejo  and  Saucelito, 
and  the  villages  as  far  north  as  San  Rafael 
with  all  their  rich  fruitage,  will  sparkle  in 
her  diadem,  and  teeming  millions  will  be  en- 
rolled within  her  borders  rejoicing  in  her 
prosperity  and  her  grandeur.  All  the  ad- 
vantages of  Tyre  and  Corinth  and  Alex- 
andria, of  the  ancient  world,  are  her  heritage 
without  the  elements  of  decay  which  led  to 
their  downfall;  and  if  she  but  hold  fast  the 
principles  of  righteousness,  which  are  the 
best  bulwarks  of  a  city  or  state,  she  will  con- 
tinue to  reign  as  a  queen  to  latest  genera- 
tions, sitting  on  her  exalted  throne  by  the 
Golden  Gate! 

THE  END 


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